Cold Snap
by Dinas Emrys
Summary: During a particularly cold winter, Weiss develops a habit of slipping into Yang's bed to keep warm. Yang is less than happy about the new arrangement, mainly due to her growing attraction to her teammate. Freezerburn.
1. Cold Snap

**Author's Note: Cover art was commissioned from the incredibly talented Skiretehfox. If you haven't, you should really check out their tumblr.**

* * *

**Cold Snap**

"Scooch over."

Yang rolled onto her side, squinting through the darkness at the sharp-eyed face staring up at her. In the dim moonlight, she could just barely make out the white bangs that hung above ice-blue eyes, and the thin slash of red cutting across the scowling face.

"Seriously, Weiss?" she groaned and blew a long lock of blonde hair out of her face. "It's the third time this week."

"I am aware of how many times I've had to ask." Weiss kept her voice low as she clambered over the last rung to Yang's bed, careful to keep the makeshift ladder from creaking. She knew as well as the rest of them how easy it was to wake Blake. Too much noise, too much motion, and the Faunus girl would pop awake, a remnant of her time living outside the kingdoms.

"Blame the moron who put the heater on your side of the room. Now unless you'd like to trade beds, scooch."

Growling at the back of her throat, Yang shuffled closer to the wall, giving the small girl clambering up behind her enough room to sneak under the covers. The bed dipped a little as Weiss moved in, and Yang composed a brilliant string of curses at whichever incompetent jackass had designed Beacon's dormitories.

As far as they could tell, the seal around their window had been done poorly, which meant that their room leaked heat no matter how high they cranked the thermostat. To make matters worse, their heating unit had been mounted on the far side of Blake and Yang's half of the room, resulting in one side of the dorm always being warmer than the other.

Granted, it was perfect for Blake, who curled up as close to the heater as she could get the second the temperature dropped, and Yang didn't really mind the extra heat. But that still left the other half of the team in various states of frostbite and chilblains.

"Ruby doesn't seem to mind," she grumbled, hating the late fall weather and dreaming of the days when warmth would finally return to the world. Mainly because it meant Weiss would stop waking her up at night.

The heiress shrugged and shivered, the blankets shaking slightly. "Any warm air rises up to her bed, and we both know she has a stronger constitution than I do."

Yang's brows shot up. It had to be practically freezing if Weiss was actually admitting that _anyone_ might be better than her at something. Even if that something just was enduring the cold.

"They were supposed to fix the window last week."

"Well, thank you for putting up with me until they do," the heiress muttered behind her. "Sleep tight."

Yang grunted and burrowed deeper beneath her quilt. _As if I have any chance of sleeping tonight._

She stared at the wall for a while, just listening to the sound of Weiss breathing behind her, waiting for the involuntary little shivers to stop. Then came the short sigh Weiss always made when she finally fell asleep, and Yang flinched.

It wasn't that she hated sleeping next to someone else – she and Ruby had done it often enough – and on missions, it wasn't uncommon for them to put their sleeping bags right next to each other if they couldn't risk a fire. But having your sister fight for the blankets or hearing the little huffing noise Blake made in her sleep were very different from having Weiss Schnee _in your bed_.

A lot of people would probably find it a rather enviable position. Yang was sure there were several male students, Jaune included, who would have swapped places with her in a flat second. Maybe even sold various body parts or firstborn children just to have a shot with the Schnee heiress.

If she was being perfectly honest, she kinda understood why. Even Yang had to admit Weiss was rather pretty, and damn smart on top of that. Even if her jokes were abysmally terrible, she was starting to show_ some_ signs of improvement. Apart from the rougher edges of her personality, she was actually a comparatively decent person, even if she was a bit of a self-centered little shithead sometimes. Namely the nights that she forced her way into Yang's bed and made it completely impossible for the blonde to sleep.

Because Weiss Schnee wasn't the kind of person to hog the sheets. No, it couldn't be that simple. Not with Weiss. She couldn't even be annoying in a normal way. Yang could have complained about _that_. She didn't snore, she didn't kick, she didn't even bother Yang with her apparently permanently frigid feet. She didn't do _anything_ that Yang could use as a convenient excuse to ban her from pulling this crap. No, what Weiss did was infinitely, inexpressibly worse.

She _cuddled._

Yang knew it was for the heat – obviously, that was why she got up there in the first place – and it only happened after she fell asleep. Still, after Weiss had finally stolen enough warmth to fall asleep, like clockwork, she'd shift ever so slightly closer, until ...

Yang ground her teeth as she felt Weiss' forehead rest against her back, the soft, nearly silent sound of her breathing barely audible with the blanket pulled up to her chin. That was how it always started, with Weiss leaning in right between her shoulder blades. It should be impossible for a sound that quiet to seem so loud, and yet it did, Weiss' nearly silent breathing roaring in her ears. Then ... _goddammit._

Right on schedule, Weiss scooted a little closer, just enough for her arm, tucked neatly against her stomach, to press against the small of Yang's back. _That_ she didn't actually mind that much, at least not compared to the two distinctly soft things pushing right beneath her shoulders.

Closing her eyes, Yang forced herself to think of something else, to run combat drills and Grimm taxonomy through her head. She and Blake had spent the evening working on another formation drill, a Bumbleby variation that should increase their damage output against multiple large targets. Especially considering their last big battle – she needed to work on her precision, on making every last shot count.

See? She had a lot to think about right now. There were tests to prep for and homework to obsess over. That was why she was having trouble sleeping. Definitely. It was all just due to stress, and being overworked, and definitely nothing to do with the fact that Weiss was most certainly _not_ wearing a bra.

Desperate and furious, Yang wriggled a little closer to the wall, trying to get some space between her and the demonic little temptress at her back. It wasn't fair. In _no_ way was it fair for her to have a roommate_ this_ attractive and have her pull this kind of bullshit. Especially not with the whole Weiss-and-Neptune thing.

Not that she _cared_. Not really. Hell, she was happy for Weiss. Neptune seemed nice enough, if a bit of a pushover. Just 'cause he hadn't been _great_ in the fights she'd seen him in didn't mean he wouldn't make a decent huntsman one day. At least he was less of a constant annoyance that some of the male students she could name.

Lost in thought, Yang didn't notice Weiss moving until the other girl had wriggled even closer under the blankets, her chest flush with Yang's back. The blonde flinched away, and found herself even closer to the wall. _Stupid dorm beds_, she thought, not caring that the single beds had hardly been intended for the students to share.

"You okay?" Weiss whispered sleepily from behind her. "You keep moving around."

Yang could have screamed. She would have too, if Blake and Ruby hadn't been in the room.

Rolling over, she stared at Weiss through the darkness. Azure eyes as clear as the sky stared back, brilliant even in the shadows. The other girl had left her long hair loose, and straight threads of white curled and draped across the top of the quilt tucked protectively beneath her chin. Yang felt that familiar pressure in her chest, the one that she'd tried so hard to deny. But no matter how hard she tried, Weiss still lay there, her face somber and concerned, a scant few inches all that lay between them.

_Of course, she just _had_ to be gorgeous, _Yang thought, cursing the beautiful, spoiled, self-centered brat who pulled this kind of bullshit without _any_ thought to how awkward it might be for the people around her.

She glared at the heiress one last time, rage and exhaustion warring with what little sense she had left, before leaning in and quickly pressing her lips to Weiss'.

She pulled away after a second, braced for the storm. There. She'd done it. Weiss would freak out, and probably try to hit her, but at least now she'd be able to get some damn sleep. At least now, Weiss wouldn't crawl into her bed in the middle of the night, tormenting her with how stupidly hot she was, for no goddamn reason and ...

Violet eyes went wide as Weiss cupped the back of the blonde' neck and slid in for another kiss, her mouth soft and warm against Yang's own. With a start, Yang jerked back, only to find herself trapped by the fingers cradling her head. Tension built and roared out of her, all the frustration, the annoyance, the anger building, stoked by the fire of having Weiss _kiss_ her. For a moment, the blonde saw red, then she was pressing back, all her rage pouring into their kiss as she bore down on the girl in her bed.

Blake mumbled something from the bunk beneath them, and Yang froze, the haze of having Weiss on her mouth slowly starting to fade. She was atop Weiss, her arms straddling either side of the heiress' shoulders, and couldn't remember how exactly she'd gotten there. She pushed with her arms, putting some much needed space between herself and Weiss, hoping against hope that she'd hadn't woken her partner. The _last_ thing she needed right now was a witness.

Weiss let her arms fall back onto the bed, somehow managing to look delicate and infuriatingly ladylike. Her wrists lay flat alongside her head, almost as if asking Yang to grab them and pin her to the bed. _She'looks_ _so defenseless, _Yang thought, her brain struggling to make sense of the whole situation. Weiss – the Ice Queen, the all-important Schnee heiress, the only one of them who rivaled Blake when it came to hiding any emotion outside of annoyance and anger – was just lying there, calm and serious, her face completely unreadable. And yet ...

_She kissed me._

"The _hell_, Weiss?" Yang hissed.

One solitary white brow arched quizzically. "If I remember correctly, you're the one who kissed _me_," Weiss whispered, her head angled to the side as she looked up at her. "You don't want this?"

"I _do_. That's the problem."

Weiss cocked her head to the side, her face flat and expressionless, silently waiting for an explanation.

Yang decided to just bite the bullet. Better to cop to her stupidity now and get the whole thing over with. Then she could sleep, and saving worrying about how to live with a Weiss who knew she liked her until the morning. "I _like_ you, okay?"

"How exactly is that a reason _not_ to kiss me?"

"Because ..." Yang trailed off, her brain suddenly grasping at straws. She was angry, she remembered that much. There it was: she was _pissed_. Pissed at Weiss for making it impossible to sleep, for putting her in this shitty situation, for being attractive and pigheaded and for arguing with her over _everything_. Because ...

"Because I have enough self-respect to not to make out with someone who just sees me as a human furnace," she growled through her teeth, that familiar anger keeping her focused, sharp.

Slowly, Weiss reached up and locked her arms behind Yang's neck. The blonde couldn't even pull away, frozen by shock and fury, trapped by surprise and rage.

"Yang, if I was fine with anyone, Ruby's bed is closer, and Blake's is practically on top of the heater." Tugging with her arms, Weiss pulled herself up towards Yang, rising until she could just press her lips to the side of the blonde's cheek. "I like you too, dolt."

The brawler blinked, the kiss setting off a roaring in her ears that had nothing to do with the small amount of pressure Weiss was putting on her neck. "What about you and Neptune?" she managed, grabbing onto that one last bit of debris before the girl beneath her could drag her down into the depths of this utter madness.

"The nice thing about asking an exchange student to a dance is the lack of drama. They leave at the end of the semester, so you can enjoy yourself without worrying about how to deal with them at the cafeteria in a month."

"So, you're not-"

"Yang, do you seriously think that I'm the kind of person who would crawl into your bed while dating someone else?"

"... no?"

Blue eyes narrowed as Weiss settled back against the mattress and glared daggers up at her, lips pursed. "Would you like to rephrase that answer?"

"... in my defense, I haven't been sleeping lately."

The anger faded a fraction. "Why is that?"

"Because you are incredibly, irritatingly, _infuriatingly_ distracting."

"Oh," Weiss at least had the grace to look guilty, some of her annoyance ebbing as she looked up at Yang. "Sorry."

Rolling onto her side, the heiress tucker her arms against the blankets and wriggled her way towards the other side of the bed, making sure Yang had plenty of room behind her.

"Since you have trouble sleeping with me at your back."

Yang blinked, and almost robotically settled in beneath the covers, still half-expecting the other shoe to drop, to wake up to find herself alone, or worse, with Weiss sleeping soundly behind her. But Weiss stayed where she was, facing safely away from her, lying utterly, perfectly still. Tentative, Yang slipped in behind her, staying close but leaving a good inch between them.

Shifting slightly, Weiss turned her head back towards Yang, and angled her head up to kiss her. This time, Yang didn't try to jerk away, letting the other girl press against her, one delicate hand reaching up, fingers brushing against her jaw, the callouses from Myrtenaster rough against Yang's skin. She let the sensation take her, the feel of Weiss' lips on her own, the other's girl's taste on her tongue. Just a hint of mint, the flavor left by her toothpaste. It wasn't Yang's favorite flavor, but ... Yang had a feeling she could _really _grow to like the taste of spearmint.

Giving her one last peck on the lips, Weiss pulled away and rolled back onto her side, somehow managing to close the gap and press her back to Yang's chest.

"Good night, Yang," she sighed, shifting slightly as she settled in.

"... night Weiss."

* * *

Yang woke to find herself alone, lying by herself in a bed that felt disturbingly ... _Empty, _she realized, fingers knotting into fists as she cursed her own foolishness. Her idiotic imagination.

A small white shape popped up from the side of her bed, peering over the edge to stare at her. A towel lay draped across one shoulder, an unopened bottle of shampoo cradled under one arm. Slowly, Weiss turned to look at their sleeping roommates, listening first for Ruby then Blake, softly breathing against their respective pillows.

Satisfied that the two other girls were still asleep, Weiss leaned in and pressed her lips to Yang's, a short brief peck that still managed to make Yang's heart skip a beat before it resumed its frantic pounding in her chest.

"Good morning," the heiress said, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, face still proud and somber.

"... yeah. Morning."

"See you at breakfast?"

"Sure."

With a nod, Weiss hopped off the bed and vanished out of sight. Yang heard the bathroom door click shut, followed by the low fizz and hum of the shower starting.

She spent the rest of the day in a stupor, her body following her routine without much thought, automatically shoveling food into her mouth while occasionally risking a glance at the perfectly normal-looking heiress across from her. If not for that morning's kiss, she would have sworn she'd dreamt the entire thing, that it had all been some lucid dream spawned by the furthest, most treacherous regions of her mind.

Weiss showed no signs of any distress, and after finishing her cereal, declared that she would be working the library and _no, _she did not want to be disturbed. Thankfully, it was Saturday, which meant that Yang could afford to spend hours staring blankly at the wall, her brain still trying to sort out the concept of _dating_ the heiress. If they were dating.

... she was pretty sure they were dating. Or at least, that they were supposed to.

"Hey Yang, you gonna be here for a bit?" Ruby asked, poking her head into the room they shared.

"Probably," Yang grumbled back, pretending to be engrossed in the textbook laid out before her.

"Kay. When Weiss gets back, could you tell her I threw her laundry in with mine?"

"Sure, Ruby." _Although that's pretty far down the list of things I want to say to her right now._

"And before she asks, yes, I made sure that the machine with her heating blanket was on the right setting."

_Wait. What?_

"Which blanket?"

"The heating one," Ruby said, looking exasperated at Yang's complete incomprehension. "The one that she leaves on all the time because our room gets so cold? She got me a red one as a present for my birthday.."

"... how long has she had it?"

"Dunno. She started using it at the end of September. Why?"

"No reason," Yang answered, her voice all too innocent, hands holding her book just a little too tight.

"... okay," Ruby shrugged and whisked out the door, leaving Yang alone with her thoughts, which at that moment, had turned to one very specific focus.

_I am gonna _kill _her._

* * *

**Writer's Note: **Probably not my best work, but it was an idea that got stuck in my head over the last few days and I wanted to get it down. And yes, I know it's yet another of the X character sneaks into Y's bed fics, of which there are many. Either way, critiques and comments are always appreciated, and I'm interested to hear what people think of this one.


	2. A Dish Best Served Cold

**A Dish Best Served Cold**

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Yang rolled onto her side, smiling innocently at the sharp-eyed face scowling down at her. Weiss' arms were folded across her chest, her lips curved in a particularly impressive frown as she stared down at the blonde who had taken custody of _her_ bed. Yang yawned, stretched, and cracked her neck a few times for good measure. If she was gonna annoy Weiss, she might as well go all out. There was nothing the heiress hated more than being ignored, and in all fairness, she _really_ deserved it.

Sensing that Weiss was a few seconds from shouting at her, Yang looked up and smiled. "You kept complaining about how cold this side of the room gets, so I figured I'd switch with you."

Weiss blinked, then stared behind her at the top bunk on the other side of the room. Sure enough, there was her bedding, mattress and all, carefully swapped out with Yang's. The blonde had even gone to the trouble of getting everything in the right place, the edge of the blankets tucked neatly along the side of the bed, pillows arranged just the way the heiress liked them.

Not that the attention to detail improved her mood. If anything, Weiss' scowl only deepened, her eyes narrowing to angry little slits of blue against her pale skin.

"Don't worry," Yang said, flapping her hand in a mockery of reassurance and intentionally misreading the situation. "I switched out all the bedding – it's your mattress up there, with your blankets. You don't have to worry about me _contaminating_ your sheets."

"You didn't have to do that," Weiss said through her teeth.

"I know," Yang grinned. She was enjoying the hell out of this. "But now you won't be so cold all the time. Plus, Ruby and I get sister-bonding time."

"Yeah!" As if on cue, Ruby leaned down out of her bunk and dutifully delivered an upside-down high five to Yang's waiting palm.

With her biggest shit-eating grin, Yang flopped back on the bed, worming her way beneath the covers. "Really, Weiss. It wasn't a big deal. We're teammates. You getting a good night's rest matters to me – to all of us. I wouldn't want you to have trouble sleeping just so _I _could be a bit more comfortable."

Weiss stood there for a moment, hands clenched, visibly fuming, before she spun on her heel and clambered up into Yang's former bed. Flipping the sheets over herself, she burrowed beneath the quilt, pointedly facing the wall and leaving her back to Yang. With a grin of righteous vengeance, the blonde rolled over onto her side, slipping her scroll beneath her comforter, more than happy to wait.

_Shouldn't be long now_, Yang thought, her grin turning positively cheshire.

* * *

An hour later, and everything was still. Ruby's muttering slowly turned into quiet snores, the bed rustling every so often as the girl tossed and turned. Blake was already asleep, lying perfectly still in her bed, her muscles just tense enough that she would be ready to go at the slightest sign of danger.

It took longer than she'd expected for Weiss to sneak down out of her new top bunk, tip-toeing her way across the carpet. The time when Weiss would normally insist on sneaking into her bed came and went, but Yang didn't mind. She might not be the most patient sort, but when it came to this, she could easily outwait Weiss. Especially since the longer Weiss waited to move, the more furious she'd become.

Finally, a very quiet rustling reached her ears and she grinned, switching off her scroll and pretending to be asleep. The muffled footsteps came close, stopping by the foot of the bed, and something small reached out and tugged at the blankets.

It was fruitless, and Yang grinned as Weiss tugged again. She'd rolled the edge of the comforter beneath her, and unless Weiss wanted to toss her at the wall, there was no chance of the other girl making it into her bed.

The tugging stopped, and Yang waited, listening to the soft angry breaths of the young woman standing beside her.

Finally, Weiss spoke, her voice tight and angry. "You suck."

Flush with her victory, Yang rolled back towards the edge of the bed, laying her scroll on her nightstand and looking up at the figure by her bedside. Weiss was there, pale blue nightdress hanging about her knees, hair down and spread across her shoulders. A pillow was clutched under one arm, held slightly tighter than it needed to be as the girl shivered.

"That's a pretty rude thing to say to someone who did you a favor, but since you're unable to express emotion in a healthy way, I guess I'll forgive you." Shifting deeper into her blankets, Yang yawned and closed her eyes, looking like she was perfectly willing to go back to sleep.

When no more sounds came, she popped open one eye to stare up at the heiress. "So, what are you doing? Your new bed should be more than warm enough. I even put your electric blanket on high for you."

Weiss flushed despite the cold, her cheeks pink as she shivered. She was still scowling, although now the patented Ice Queen glare was directed off into the corner of the room, the bright red of her face ruining any effect it might have had. Still, she stood there, in her too-thin nightdress, blushing with embarrassment, goosebumps showing on her skin as she shook with cold and rage and frustration.

She looked miserable. Miserable enough for Yang to take pity on her. Well, _some _pity.

"Ask for it."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Yang drawled quietly, wriggling one arm out from beneath the blankets. "You spent the last month barging your way in here and guilt-tripping me into letting you stay. If you want in, I wanna hear you ask."

Weiss turned a little pinker, scowled a little deeper, but Yang refused to look away, staring calmly out from her nice, warm bed. She watched as the heiress fumed silently, teeth biting down into her bottom lip as her pride warred with the cold.

Eventually, Weiss looked away, staring pointedly at the wall, the arm holding her pillow cinching just a little tighter. "Yang ... just ... let me in, okay?"

She _did _look miserable.

"Close enough." With a roll of her eyes, Yang lifted the edge of her bedding, frigid air rushing in as she held it out for Weiss.

With one last glare, Weiss slipped beneath the outstretched blanket, shaking as she laid her pillow alongside Yang's. Reaching out, the blonde tucked the layers of warmth back around them, covering them up to their ears. Wrapping her arms around the stubborn little heiress' shoulders, she yanked her close. The girl was freezing, her thin nightgown one long sheet of cold. Her hands and legs trembled every so often, her breath coming in short, shaking gasps. Within seconds she was pressed right up against Yang, shaking as she buried her face in the taller girl's shoulder.

"God, you're cold," Yang flinched as those icy toes brushed her again.

"And wh-whose fault is that?" Weiss hissed, managing to just barely keep her voice quiet. "You're the o-one who kept me s-standing there."

"Yeah, well, turns out I have a bit of a vengeful streak. You probably should have figured that out by now."

"How about I punch you a few times, see if that makes us warmer?"

Yang had to fight to keep from laughing. Reaching around, she rubbed Weiss' back to heat her up, grinning as the other girl pressed even closer to her. "So, you wanna tell me why you thought lying your way into my bed was a good idea?"

Weiss didn't seem to want to answer, content to just shudder hide in the warmth of Yang's bed. After a minute, she shifted a little closer, burying her face even deeper into the blonde's shoulder.

"I figured ... if you didn't react at all by the end of winter, then you weren't interested."

"So rather than flirting or, oh I don't know, just _saying_ that you liked me, you decided to trick me into doing all the awkward work for you?"

Weiss slipped back into her silence, her shivers growing less frequent as Yang's body heat bled into her. The brawler's hand stopped its frantic rubbing, switching to long, slow strokes down her upper back, trying to get the smaller girl to relax, if only a little. Slowly, she felt some of Weiss' stress start to ebb, her muscles unknotting as the tension faded.

"I've been hit on a lot, Yang."

The blonde couldn't help but snort. "Have I mentioned that your humility is your most attractive feature?"

"You're an ass." Weiss sighed, her breath tickling Yang's exposed neck. "This is the first time I've been attracted to someone who didn't express an interest in me first."

"Still doesn't make what you did a good idea. Or fair to me."

"... I will make it up to you."

"How exactly do you plan to do that?"

Weiss pulled just far back enough to look her in the eye. Her face was still red, although the glare had softened somewhat. "You can copy my notes from Oobleck's class."

"Tempting," Yang said, and it actually was. Yang _despised _history with a passion, and Oobleck's habit of bouncing around the room like a coked-up squirrel didn't help matters. Weiss, on the other hand, was acing his class with flying colors, and guarded her notes tighter than Fort Knox.

She _could _really use those notes. Still ...

"Look, just ... try to be honest with me, okay?"

Weiss scowled, and buried her face in Yang's shoulder again. Very quietly, quiet enough that Yang could just barely hear her, the heiress whispered something against her neck. "I will try."

Snaking her hand between them, Yang shifted back, cupping Weiss chin and making her meet her eyes. The blonde stared at her for a moment, eyes flickering between those pools of icy blue, her hand reaching up to brush pale hair back behind her ear. The scent of Weiss' shampoo filled the space between them, faded after the day into something faint and vaguely flowery. Her cheeks were already turning red, blushing until she looked away, scowling pointlessly at the pillow. _She's really bad in situations when she's not in control, huh?_

Accepting her part in the mess that both of them were in, Yang leaned forward and pressed her lips to Weiss'. The other girl shrank back, just for a second, somehow caught off-guard by something that was completely and totally obvious. Then it clicked, and she slowly reached out to wrap her arms behind Yang's neck, careful to keep her hands safe beneath the warm edge of the quilt. Then it was just the two of them, Weiss still slightly cool and delicate in her arms. She was small – Yang hadn't realized just how small. Small and short and thin, but there was muscle in her arms, in the sculpted legs pressing against her own. Delicate she might be, but Weiss was a fighter, same as Yang. She might not have the blonde's bulk, or her sheer muscle, but _everything_ was toned and tight, and Yang was seized by the sudden desire to run her hands down every inch of this girl's body.

Maybe another time. When there weren't two other girls in the room and their relationship consisted of more than four kisses and Weiss sleeping chastely in her bed. Slowly, Yang opened her lips a little wider, a silent signal for Weiss to do the same. This time, Weiss took the hint, pressing closer, her body _melting_ alongside Yang's.

Eventually, she pulled away, opening her eyes to find Weiss' still half-closed, blinking as she focused back on the blonde beside her. Yang grinned, and Weiss blushed – it seemed like that was going to be a habit for them. _Pretty sure __I can live with that._

"Good night, Weiss."

Silently, the other girl settled back against her, head lying in the crook of her neck. Yang closed her eyes and resigned herself to the inevitable. When it came to Weiss, Yang was truly, royally screwed. At least she could take comfort in knowing Weiss – stubborn, angry, stuck-up and barely on the acceptable side of prissy – was in this just as deep as she was.

Still, with the smaller girl cradled against her chest, her breathing soft and comforting in her ears, she figured it might just be worth it.

"Weiss?" she whispered.

"Mhmm?" Weiss answered sleepily

"Still gonna want those notes."

* * *

"Sooo. How long has this been going on?" Ruby asked softly, staring down at the two girls still lying in each other's arms.

Blake yawned and stretched, her back arching as she shook off the last vestiges of sleep. "About a month. Weiss isn't as sneaky as she thinks she is."

Ruby blew a cowlick out of her face and leaned a little further, trying to decide exactly how she felt about finding her partner and her sister cuddled up against each other in the bed beneath her. _Weird_, she decided. _Cute – really cute – but weird._

"So, do we like, just wait for them to wake up?"

"Give them another twenty minutes, then bump the bed a little. It's what I've been doing to wake Weiss up."

* * *

**Writer's Note: **Written purely because people were asking to see Yang's revenge. Hopefully it holds up to the first chapter. Feel free to leave a comment - again, I'm really interested to hear what people think.

On that note, I'm trying to increase the number of shorter things I do outside of my running series, so if there's something you'd like to see me do or a pairing I haven't spent enough time on, go ahead and leave a comment, send me a PM, or send me an ask at RedSuitWriter on tumblr.


	3. Lift Me Up

**Lift Me Up**

Yang fought the urge to yawn as she trudged up the stairs to the team's fourth floor dorm room. Her hair was still damp from her shower, bound back in a braid while it dried. Every few steps, the thick length would thud against her back, a slow monotonous beating that made her already sore muscles ache all the more.

Grunting as she hit the third floor landing, she let herself slump against the wall, thighs burning from the long workout and the walk back from the gym. Whoever designed school's exercise facilities had apparently never intended to actually use them, or if they did, had planned to eke out a solitary existence in the woods on the far side of campus. This genius, who Yang dearly wished to meet, had dumped the gym, the fight rings, the practice courts, and pretty much anything else that was even vaguely associated with training as far as physically possible from the dormitories. Which was all well and good – it _did_ mean that stay shots or explosions weren't likely to bother or endanger the rest of the student body – but it made the walks back after a long night unbelievably grueling.

Growling some bestial mix of annoyance and stubbornness, Yang pushed herself off the wall, staggering over to the staircase and hauling herself up by the handrail. _They really need to get a damn elevator in this building,_ she thought, jumping the last few steps and sighing when her feet met the landing. The blonde grinned as she opened the door into the hall, half-imagining that she could feel the soft carpet through her shoes, soft and welcoming after the unforgiving pavestones and concrete stairs.

The normally buzzing hallways, filled with the chatter of the dozen different teams that lived on their floor, were nearly silent. She wasn't surprised. Friday nights usually meant a mad dash into the city for some much-needed R&amp;R, or, for the more studious, a head start on the piles of homework that would inevitably be due the following Monday. As the partiers and the academics split ranks, the dorms and the training rooms were left almost abandoned. That was what made this her favorite time to find a heavy bag and punch it till the seams popped. No boys peeking over at the resident blonde in her workout clothes, or well-meaning classmates offering to give her a moving target. It was time she had to herself, time to get out of her own head and just punch something until her hands hurt.

And now, now that she'd stretched, used, and tested every muscle she could think of, she was going to take advantage of her teammates' usual study session and fall right into bed.

The promise of a nice, relaxing nap was entrancing enough that her key was in her hand by the time she heard voices coming through the door. Already gripping the door handle, Yang froze, swearing under her breath. If the others had come home early ... well, it wasn't the end of the world. She'd survive without her cooldown time, and it would be nice to relax as a team for once.

She was about to open the door when something about the conversation made her pause. Something about it ... it just didn't sound right. It was too steady, constant, missing the patter of the others' banter or the staccato interruptions from her sister. Leaning in, Yang pressed her ear against the wood, holding her breath as she tried to hear the soft voice calling through the wood.

It wasn't conversation. It sounded like ...

Singing?

That was a first. With the variety of musical tastes between the four girls, they had long since settled on an earbuds-only policy. It just made sense – better to keep your music to yourself than bother three other people.

Her curiosity piqued, Yang edged her ear closer to the keyhole, straining to hear what was going on behind the thick-paneled door.

Was that ... she knew that song. Hadn't heard it in years, but she _knew _it. Pat Ben ... no. Belinda Carlisle.

That was it. That was what made it so odd. She _knew_ the others' tastes. It couldn't be Ruby – after being subjected to years of it from Yang, the younger girl was deathly allergic to eighties' music, and Blake, for all she tried to hide it, was more into campy musicals and modern pop. Weiss was sixties, big band, mournful jazz. None of them were the type to blare eighties pop numbers in the room by themselves.

Biting her lip, Yang tried to make up her mind. But if she went in ...

_Nah. Whichever one of them it is, they've earned their down time too. Might as well give them their space. _Sighing, Yang straightened, cracking her neck and wondering if any of JNPR was around.

Then, just as the first verse began to swell, a second voice chimed in. It was clear as a bell, even through the door. A piercing alto that froze her in her steps

"_And you lift me up, in wave of lo-ove._"

That voice ... she _knew_ that voice.

Grinning as widely and lovingly as a tomcat gazing at a particularly juicy mouse, Yang slowly turned her key in the lock, moving as quiet as possible as she eased the door open. The singing grew louder the second the opened the door, a soft chorus line backed by the strum of an electric guitar. Layered atop the whole thing, almost drowning out the former Go-Go's singer, was a higher-pitched voice Yang knew only too well, practically belting the words in time with the music.

There, in the middle of the room, stood Weiss Schnee. The girl was still in her uniform, jacket and vest hung neatly from the bunk-bed she shared with Ruby, waiting to be placed delicately back into the section of the closet that the heiress had quite clearly marked as 'hers.' Yang had a feeling they might be waiting a while, because at the moment, the heir to one of the richer conglomerates in all Vytal was crooning dated hits into the upturned handle of her hairbrush.

Doing everything she could to not burst out laughing, Yang slipped into the room and closed the door behind her, thanking her lucky stars that Weiss was facing the window and too absorbed in her impromptu performance to notice the sudden arrival of an audience. Tears tickled at the corners of her eyes, her chest jumping every so often from the strain of keeping her giggling in check. She _had _to be quiet. Especially since this wasn't the kind of thing she got to see on a daily basis.

_Something she'd kill me for thinking,_ Yang stifled another laugh as Weiss bopped up and down to the music. Still, it'd be absolutely worth it. Seeing Weiss this relaxed, enjoying herself without any trace of the mask she normally wore ...

She was just so _cute_.

Weiss threw herself into the song as it approached the chorus, pitch rising as she hit the bridge. "_Baby I was afraid befo-ore. But I'm not afraid, any_-yaaah!" Weiss shrieked as she turned mid-song, jumping nearly a foot at the sight of the taller blonde leaning back against the doorframe.

"Hey."

Weiss stood frozen in the center of the room, hairbrush still gripped in one hand, her eyes wide with shock as a blush started to creep up her face. Coughing, she straightened, her hand ghosting over the desk in what was probably intended as a subtle gesture to stop the song still playing on her scroll.

"... hi," she said, once the music stopped.

"So," Yang choked out, teeth grinding to keep from doing the one thing Weiss would never forgive: laughing. "Carlisle, huh?"

"I ... suppose," Weiss said, glancing briefly down at her scroll to check the artist entry. "I thought ... well, music sounded like a fairly safe conversation topic, so I asked Blake if I could borrow some of her CDs."

Yang nodded, glancing at the pile of disks on the desk as she stepped away from the wall. Made sense. "That's not a bad idea, actually."

"Yes, thank you _so_ much for the seal of approval," Weiss glowered up at the tall blonde, arms crossed over her chest. "You _could_ have knocked."

"Maybe. You made one fatal mistake, though."

"And what is _that_ supposed to be?"

Yang lost the fight to keep from smiling, beaming down as she stood toe-to-toe with the angry little heiress. "That's not Blake's music."

Weiss' eyes narrowed in suspicion, before her head whipped over to stare at the hand-written label on the case. "But-"

"Homemade mix 'tape?' Huey Lewis? Springfield, Benatar, Hall 'n Oates?" The expression on Weiss' face was more than enough of an answer. "It's mine. Musta gotten mixed in with Blake's collection. Serves me right for using an outdated medium."

"It's not like she keeps a set of vinyl ... h-hey," Weiss objected as Yang slid her arms around her, one moving to rest at the small of her back, the other climbing up to rest against her shoulder. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

"Well, it's been a while since I listened to the song, but I'm pretty sure 'pull me close' and 'start to woo' were in there somewhere."

Weiss' glare darkened, but from the flush in her cheeks and the way her arms slowly undid themselves, Yang figured she was on the right track. "You're an ass," she growled, arms reluctantly wrapping around Yang's waist as the blonde began to sway. "And it's 'move,' not 'woo.'"

"You're adorable, and I like my version better," Yang said, tensing just a little – an invitation – and Weiss stepped forward, bringing the two of them together. "It's nice seeing you relaxed and enjoying yourself."

"I'm usually relaxed."

"Sure. 'Relaxed' ... as a board. Or a steel pole. Or-"

The scowl leveled at Yang made it quite clear how this would go if she kept talking. Grinning, she pulled Weiss a little closer, pausing only to tap the scroll and pull up one of the slower, crooning songs from her playlist.

"Shutting up now."

"That would be a good idea."

Yang leaned in, only for Weiss to meet her halfway, pressing up on her toes until their lips met.

Ruby and Blake came in a few minutes later, only to find Yang lying on her bed, smirking at her scroll while a grumpy-looking Weiss hung up her clothes. Grey and gold eyes flashed between the pair, and Yang couldn't help but suspect the other half of the team knew more than they were letting on.

"Hey," said Ruby, as the next song popped up on the playlist. "Is that Belinda Carlisle?"

Yang had never seen Weiss' face go quite that red.

* * *

**Writer's Note: So, after RTX and Comiket, I am officially back. I'll be getting to work on the bigger projects as soon as I can, but this was something that came to mind and I wanted to get done. **

**Anyway, please shoot me a review if you have the time, and thanks to everyone who talked to me at RTX!**


	4. Wonderful

Happy Freezerburn Friday, everyone!

* * *

**Wonderful**

"You still mad?" Yang asked, looking at Weiss across the backseat of the taxi. She didn't get a response. Not that it was surprising. The white-haired girl hadn't said a word since they packed themselves into the small yellow cab. Instead, she spent the entire trip glaring silently out the window as the high-rises of downtown Vale rolled by.

Rain pattered quietly against the windows, the dark grey skies making a pretty good match for the mood in the back of the car. Autumn in Vale tended to be long, colorful, and wet, and this year was proving no exception. Water rolled off red-and-yellow leaves as the cab passed the trees planted along the sidewalk. The pavement was strewn with fallen leaves and needles, soggy and squishing as the car petered down the packed street. The whole city had a determined sort of joy to it – it had decided long ago that autumn would be bright and colorful, and it wasn't about to let grey skies and a hammering downpour stop it.

Yang tore her eyes away from the window to look back at her scowling teammate, then sighed and slumped back against the door. "You know, it's not _my _fault Nora overheard you talking about our date."

"No," Weiss said, voice tight as she turned on Yang. "But whose bright idea was it to tell her we were just 'planning a surprise karaoke night?'"

Yang shrugged guiltily. "It was the first thing that came to mind."

Weiss harrumphed and went back to glaring out at the rain.

"Weiss, it won't be _that_ bad."

"Have you heard Jaune sing?"

"... okay. Fair point." Rubbing the back of her head, Yang shifted on the leather-covered seats so she could stare into the smaller girl's face. "Look, next time, I'll let _you_ come up with the reason why you dragged me into the back corner of the library."

"I didn't _drag_ you anywhere!"

"No, 'propelled as quickly and surreptitiously as you could and then tried to pin me against the bookshelves' would be much more accurate."

Another glare, this one even more vehement.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Yang looked over at Weiss. This kind of reaction was ... odd. Granted, Weiss had always been a little ... high-strung. Yang assumed it was from being raised by a demanding father – the constant need to prove herself, to live up to his expectations. But her usual response to obstacles and frustration was anger – usually ending in a furious lecture – not silence or brooding_._ That was more up Blake's alley, and Weiss was rarely the navel-gazing type.

Trying her best to look reassuring and sympathetic, Yang reached out a hand and placed it on the heiress' knee.

"Weiss, it's just something dumb to do with our friends. What's actually bugging you?"

To Yang's surprise, because Weiss was rarely short of a sarcastic retort, she didn't have an answer. The blonde watched as Weiss' jaw tensed, relaxed, then tensed again, her fingers tapping unconsciously against her knee. The girl was all raw nerves and pressure, an odd change from the mask of self-assured confidence she usually put on around others. _Whatever this is, _Yang thought, _it's getting to her, and she really doesn't want me to know what it is._

"I haven't sung in public in years," she finally said.

_Yeah, I'm _sure_ that's what's bothering you. _"Weiss, it's not really_ public_, and no one's expecting you to sell out a packed house."

The heiress gave a noncommittal grunt, not even bothering to look at her.

Rolling her eyes, Yang reached across the back of the cab, put her arm around the smaller girl's shoulders and tugged her close.

"H-hey!"

"Weiss, _if_ this is actually about the singing, you know you don't have to even _touch_ the mic if you don't want to." Yang just held her for a second, waiting to see if she tried to pull away. When she didn't, Yang squeezed her a little tighter, and tucked Weiss' head beneath her chin. "But since you probably already know that ... well, whatever's wrong, I'm here if you want to tell me, and I'm here if you don't."

"... was that supposed to be comforting?" Weiss drawled, and even though she couldn't see her face from that angle, Yang had a feeling Weiss was blushing.

Resigned to her girlfriend's intimacy issues, Yang let go, and pretended not to notice how long it took for the smaller girl to pull away. "Wouldn't dream of it. Just do me a favor, okay?"

"What?"

"Try to have _some_ fun? You know, while the rest of us make fools of ourselves."

For a while, Weiss didn't say anything. Then, looking as awkward and unsure as Yang had ever seen her, she rested her head against the blonde's shoulder.

"I'll try ... oaf."

* * *

Despite Weiss' reservations, karaoke night with team JNPR went off without a hitch. Ruby, Blake, and – to the heiress' surprise – Penny were already waiting when Weiss and Yang arrived. Team JNPR stepped out of their own taxi a few minutes later, the harassed-looking cabbie giving Nora particularly dark look before pulling back onto the rain-wet streets. Seeing the state they were in, Weiss gave the team a wide berth as they came through the door. Nora and Ren were their usual cheery and taciturn selves respectively, but Jaune was green and staggering, one hand clutched over his stomach as Pyrrha half-carried him inside.

"Nora gave directions," he managed when he saw Weiss' stare, propping himself against the wall and closing his eyes.

A few minutes, a short conversation with the clerk, and a quick dose of something Pyrrha pulled out of her purse for Jaune's stomach, and they were off. Yang had reserved the largest of the karaoke parlor's rooms – a decent-sized space in the back that managed to fit the nine of them without any trouble. Thick, red pleather couches sat against two of the back walls, forming an L-shaped bench behind a low table. The place was covered in posters of various bands, from the AchieveMen, to Ben King, and the Cure. At a first glance, Weiss guessed that she could make out seven, maybe eight different languages, half of them in the various regional tongues of Vacuo or Mistral.

The remote to the frighteningly large stereo system was in Mistrali, although it was only a few seconds after Pyrrha finished her explanation before the students were hammering away on the brick-sized remote, lining up songs while others flipped through a massive binder of song selections. _After all_, Weiss thought, _how hard is it really to remember the buttons for 'search' and 'enter?'_

Surprisingly, the singers themselves weren't all that bad. Weiss had expected the night to compare unfavorably to nails on a chalkboard, but the heavy speakers, loud music, and the fact that no one got halfway through a song before the others joined in, made it ... tolerable. It was even, she grudgingly admitted, somewhat amusing, at least when Ruby, Nora, or Yang started goofing off in front of the large screen with the random music videos that never quite matched the lyrics.

After the first few songs, Jaune did an only slightly painful and off-key rendition of "Don't Stop Believing," that everyone suffered through with various levels of dignity. Weiss knew she shouldn't judge – there had to five or six songs she loved that were just as overplayed.

Blake's eyes went wide when she flipped through the song book, and promptly snagged the remote from Ren. Two songs later, she got up and floored them all by belting out the signature tune from a beloved, if very over-performed, Broadway musical. Leaning back against the cushions, Weiss watched wide-eyed as Blake burst into a rising declaration of rebellion and defiance, letting it carry her up to the crescendo and – most impressively – hit it. Then the music faded, leaving an awkward-looking Blake to perch back on the edge of the couch, doing her best to ignore standing ovation her friends simply refused to stop.

Then it was Yang's turn, the blonde grinning with mischief as she caught one mic and thrust the other at a surprised Pyrrha.

"Come on Nikos, this one's you and me."

"Oh, I'm really not really-"

That was about as far as she got before the combined force of Yang and Nora yanked her from her seat, spinning her around to face the screen and locking her hand around the mic. Caught off-guard, the redheaded champion started singing along – more out of instinct and confusion than anything else. It helped that she already knew the words. The song had hit the Top 40 the previous year, and while it had grated on Weiss' nerves at the time, she had to admit the song worked perfectly for Pyrrha.

"_Baby_! _It's time to make up your mii-iind_ ..."

The two worked fairly well together, Yang's energy pulling the more reluctant Mistrali along. Halfway into the first chorus, the redhead glanced over at Jaune, only to find his eyes stuck on her, a rapt look of attention on his face. She smiled slightly and turned back to the words flashing on the screen, getting more energetic as Yang's boundless energy seeped into her. The blonde girl, on the other hand, was casting just enough looks over her shoulder to make it plenty clear to Weiss exactly who _she_ was singing to.

Weiss wasn't sure whether to be angry or embarrassed. She settled for both.

On the one hand, the last thing they needed right now was for _someone _with minimum amounts of tact _– _Jaune and Nora immediately came to mind – to catch on to their relationship. The wrong word in the wrong ear, and Weiss doubted she'd be able to dodge her father for long, if he didn't find a way to pull her out of school entirely. It was even worse with Penny in the room, considering there was a good chance that anything she saw would eventually make it back to the elder Schnee.

On the other ... well, it _was_ flattering that Yang could barely keep her eyes off her, and the not-so-subtle implication that Weiss was her "little ray of light" was ... endearing, for lack of a better word. _Although, _she thought, flipping absently through the song book. _It really suits us more the other way around. _

Not that she'd _ever_ tell Yang that. She'd be insufferable.

Sighing, Weiss scowled down at the page, biting the side of her cheek and regretting that she'd ever picked up the book. _It would be perfect_, she thought, the little black-and-white entry staring back at her. She liked the song. More importantly, she knew Yang did _was_ just within her range, although she'd probably want to bump the pitch on the machine up a bit.

_It's also a little too ... obvious. _That was the problem. It really did fit, almost too well. Then again, she and Yang hadn't even had a chance to speak to each other all night, and they'd done their best to keep some distance between them at school.

Letting out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, Weiss held her hand out to Ruby, still scowling down at the binder. Surprise plain on her face – everyone else, including Pyrrha, had gone at least twice already – Ruby passed the remote across the table, and before she could second-guess herself any more, Weiss typed the song code in.

There were three more songs on the docket before hers, which meant she had a good twelve minutes to stew over the mistake she'd just made. How it was going to be obvious to everyone why she'd chosen that particular song. How her father might find out, how there was a better than even chance she'd somehow manage to screw this up.

She should just delete it. Right. That should be easy enough. Get to the song list, find it, and hit delete. That's all she had to do. No problem. Just need to-

"Whose is this?" Yang asked, squinting as the next song title popped up on the screen, giving them a few seconds to get ready before it started. Dread washed over Weiss as she saw her song, saw that it was too late to just make the whole damn thing disappear.

_Just don't answer. They'll delete it and move on. It'll be a glitch, a mistake ..._

"It's mine," she said, her throat tighter than that first night when she'd asked Yang to help keep her warm. Getting to her feet, she took the mic from Nora and stepped to the front of the room.

"I am doing this only because it is _nothing_ like what I used to sing," she said over her shoulder as she faced the screen. "So, don't expect ... anything."

Then the music started, the soft, quiet strumming leading into the gentle tinkling melody of the piano. Taking a breath, Weiss opened her mouth, and sang.

She was careful never to quite look Yang's way. Singing, especially this song, was mortifying enough as it was – she didn't need to see the disappointment on Yang's face when she didn't sound as good as she had during her old performances. The song itself came easily at least, her voice low and crooning as she worked her way through the ballad. Apparently the years of practice, kept up by the occasional session when she knew no one was around, were enough to keep her voice in shape. Even if she did notice a warble here or there that hadn't been around during her performing days.

"_And the wonder, of it all / Is that you just don't realize how much I love you_."

There hadn't been a single song where the other hadn't joined in. Not since Blake's show stopper, if only because no one else could keep up. Now though, the rest of the room was silent, but for the soft music and the heiress' voice. Somehow, that just made it worse.

One glance. She could spare the rest of the group one glance. Just one to confirm she was making an absolute fool of herself. It would be better then, no pressure, no panic. Everyone else had gotten up here to goof off – she might as well too.

What she saw in Yang's eyes when she turned almost brought her to a halt, and she felt her voice try to hitch before she forced it back in line. The girl's lilac eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open as she stared in what Weiss could only describe as wonder ... and something more. Something primal, something that made Weiss wish desperately that they were alone, and didn't have seven other people with them.

"_I say _'_My darling ... you were wonderful, tonight._'"

Her voice trailed off with the music, and a bright screen that was supposed to tell you how well you did (but always seemed to give everyone zeroes) popped up. Swallowing, she let the hand holding the mic fall loosely to her side,

Someone started clapping – she had a damn good idea who – and by the time she turned, all her friends were applauding, smiles on their faces as the flustered heiress dropped into the empty seat next to Yang. It wasn't the ovation Blake had gotten, but this was a crooner, not a show-stopper.

"That was really, really good," Yang said, quiet enough that only she could hear.

"... thanks." Weiss smiled, and carefully, sure that no one would see, she reached out and took Yang's hand.

Their secret little moment lasted just a long as it took Nora to start belting "Bad Reputation" at the top of her lungs, violently thrashing on an air guitar at the front of the room. Somehow, the raucous chorus of "_and I don't give a damn ..._" had a tendency to ruin the mood.

Food was ordered eventually, small things they could snack on between songs – popcorn chicken, dumplings, egg rolls (at Yang's insistence), and various forms of bubble teas and slushy-like Snow Bubbles all around.

Unfortunately, the parlor's delivery service left much to be desired, and a few minutes later, the phone attached to the wall began to ring.

"Drinks are done," Yang called out to everyone after hanging it back up. "Weiss, you wanna help me with the drinks?"

Seeing Jaune taking the mic from Nora, Weiss nodded. Grateful for the escape, she followed Yang out onto the landing.

They made it about ten feet, just out of sight from any of the rooms, before Yang stopped.

"So," she said, trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably. "I hear you think I'm 'wonderful.'"

Trapped alone with Yang, and not entirely unhappy about it, Weiss felt her face go red. Looking away, she stared resolutely down the hall, refusing to meet the blonde's gaze.

"That was just the song, oaf."

"Really?" Yang cocked an eyebrow, teasing before she leaned in to kiss the shorter girl. "Cause I think you look wonderful too, babe."

The kiss turned into another, and another, and seconds later Weiss found herself pressed against the wall. Yang's arms were on either side of her head, making it so the only thing she could see was Yang, golden waves cascading down around the both of them.

"Yang, if someone comes–"

"They'll see a tall blonde pinning someone to a wall. My arms are hiding your face. No one will know it's you."

Any objections Weiss had vanished as Yang kissed the edge of her jaw, making her heart jump as the blonde worked her way down her throat.

"... okay."

Weiss' hands found Yang's sides, and the hard abs usually left uncovered beneath her jacket. Her fingers slipped up beneath the leather, finding the defined muscles and absently running across them. Yang kissed her deeper, and one hand moved up to grip Yang's arm, needing something to cling to as the blonde pressed her even more firmly against the poster-covered wall. _Apparently you're into that_, she thought in the back of her mind, following the corded lines of a bicep. The image of those arms holding her down, of Yang's tight core above her, or below her ... she wanted-

When Yang pulled away, her face was flushed. She looked as breathless are Weiss felt, and for a second, they just stood there, foreheads pressed together.

"We should get back," Yang managed, her voice tight and raw. Weiss tried to say something, found she couldn't, and just nodded.

The group was off on an eighties kick by the time they returned, Ruby having just dragged Penny up onstage for a round of "Goody Two Shoes." Watching the two bopping up and down to the upbeat trumpets, everyone was too distracted to notice much as the two girls returned, and if Weiss was a little red, well, it _was_ rather hot in the crowded room.

Drinks and food were passed around, and Weiss let herself relax into an easy rhythm, watching and clapping, singing along under her breath when the moment struck her. Eventually she allowed Ruby to con her into a quick duet of some horrible pop song, and Jaune drudged up the courage to ask Pyrrha for a partner's duet (unfortunately choosing the equally overplayed "Summer Nights").

Every so often, Weiss would catch Yang looking at her, and every time, she found herself wishing for a good excuse to step back into the hall, or maybe even head home early. Maybe the two of them could grab a few minutes to themselves before Ruby and Blake came back. Maybe-

Yang met her eyes and grinned, before waving for Ruby to join her for the next song. "Come on Ruby, you and me."

The younger sister popped to her feet, bouncing up in front of the table and taking the mic Yang held out to her.

Weiss couldn't help but groan as Yang opened her mouth and started singing in a passable imitation of a Vacuan islander accent. It was silly, and from one of the animated movies she liked least, but from Yang, Weiss found she didn't mind so much. Plus, the blonde actually had a fairly decent singing voic-

Her train of thought derailed as Yang hit the crescendo, tossing her hair back like a rock star and howling into the mic.

"_Darling it's bettah, down where it's Wetter! Under the SCHNEEEEE!"_

"Yang, I will _fucking _kill you!"

* * *

Eventually, the phone on the wall rang, the clerk reminding them that their time was up and asking if they wanted an extension. Gathering up discarded coats and bags, the tired students trudged back to the lobby. It was still raining, not that anyone really cared. JNPR dashed across the slick pavement to a waiting taxi, hands and bags held over their heads, Ren following them more slowly with an actual umbrella. Piling in the back, the four waved goodbye, before their cab carried them off into the night.

"So," Ruby started, looking between the five of them, and realizing their odd-numbered group would never be able to fit in a single cab together.

Heading off the inevitable conversation about what arrangement would get them all home the quickest, Yang propelled the other three girls towards the next taxi.

"You guys need to take Penny home. Weiss and I'll just catch our own cab back."

"You sure?" Ruby said. "I can come wit-"

"Nah. We're the odd ones out. You guys go on ahead."

Shrugging, Ruby piled in after the others, closing the door behind her as the yellow cab pulled forward and drove into the night.

That just left the two remaining members of Team RWBY, standing beneath the awning of the karaoke parlor, watching the rain splash to the ground around them.

"Are you going to call us a cab, or should I?" Weiss asked eventually, looking over at the taller blonde. Not that she minded having a few seconds to themselves, but the weather had started to turn cold, and freezing in the rain was hardly what she would describe as romantic.

"Why?" Yang asked, turning and walking back into the building. "We still have that room for half an hour."

Weiss blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I kinda reserved the spot right after ours as well." Ignoring Weiss' disbelief and spluttered questions, Yang took her hand, and lead the startled girl back upstairs.

"Now," Yang said, once the door had closed behind them. "Was I really wonderful tonight?"

"_Very_ smooth," Weiss growled, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she sat back on the red pleather couch. "And yes, when you weren't making horrible puns involving my name."

Yang sat next to her, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear and lingering on her cheek.

"By the way," she said, eyes bright with mischief. "I _do_ realize how much you lo-"

Scowling, Weiss grabbed the blonde's lapel and pulled her close in the darkened room.

* * *

**Writer's Note:** So, I'm finally getting back in the swing of things. I know people have been asking about updates, and hopefully I'll be able to do that soon.


	5. Date Night

**Date Night**

Weiss twitched as the door clicked open behind her. She was about to turn and see who it was, then went back to her textbook once she heard Yang's footsteps on the dorm room floor. It was never too hard to tell who might be coming into the room. Blake barely made a sound when she entered, and Ruby was physically incapable of coming in without striking up a conversation the second she opened the door. Footsteps with a little more weight to them – all muscle – and the lack of chatter could only mean the elder of the two sisters. Her ... girlfriend.

Weiss' face flushed. She was really getting tired of this. She shouldn't react like this every time she thought of Yang. They'd been together for almost two months now – the newness, the awkwardness should have worn off. Her frustration that it _kept happening_ only made it worse.

She sighed and rubbed the side of her hand against her forehead. At least the surge of embarrassment was slightly less than the last time. Weiss supposed she would eventually get used to the idea. Used to kissing Yang. Used to running her hands down the blonde's arms...

... this was not helping. She should probably just say hello. That was what girlfriends did, right? You didn't just ignore them when they came into the room, even if you were halfway through the latest idiotic essay from Professor Oobleck.

Just as she was about to ask if Yang needed anything, a mug appeared at the corner of her desk, the light brown liquid still sending small tendrils of steam up into the air.

"Brought you something."

Looking up, Weiss found herself staring into the blonde's violet eyes. It was a mistake. Yang was close – too close – with that smile on her face that always sent Weiss' stomach into knots.

"I appreciate the thought," she said, clearing her throat, "But if it's the sludge you and Ruby drink-"

"It's tea," Yang said dryly before plopping down atop Weiss' comforter. "That blend you keep stashed away behind Ruby's coco stash."

"Did you-"

"Milk, no sugar."

_Of course Yang would get it right._ "... thank you."

Taking a sip, Weiss blinked owlishly over at the young woman seated on her bed. Yang was still wearing her uniform, or at least most of it. The black jacket lay next to her, haphazardly dumped onto the bedding. A thin line of skin peeked out between the hem of her skirt – which was definitely an inch or two higher than the dress code allowed – and the thigh-high stockings she always wore. The little red ribbon hung loose at the front of her shirt, the bow probably yanked apart as soon as class let out. She'd already undone the first couple buttons of her shirt, the lightly tanned skin along her neck making a good contrast with the slightly rumpled white collar...

Forcing herself to stare at something other than Yang's neck, Weiss looked down at the cup of tea in her hands. Finding little there to interest her, her eyes travelled to Yang's fingers tapping impatiently on the comforter. One of her knees bounced with a nervous energy, and glancing up, Weiss found a far too innocent expression on the other girl's face.

_She wants something._

"What's your angle?" Weiss asked over the rim of her cup.

Yang looked back at her, eyes wide in feigned surprise. "Am I really not allowed to do anything nice for my girlfriend without some ulterior motive?"

Weiss couldn't quite suppress the flush that tried to creep up her neck. Annoyed that simply being called 'her girlfriend' _still _did this to her, she gripped the mug in both hands, sipping the tea and sending another suspicious glare over the rim.

Sighing, Yang leaned back against the bedpost, one hand fiddling with a stray lock of hair. "Look, I know you're stressed about finals, and unlike some of us, you were born without the ability to relax."

"I am perfectly capable of relaxing, thank you."

"Really?" Yang said, one brow cocked skeptically. "So if I come back with food in, say, two hours, you'd actually have a dinner date with me?"

Fortunately, holding the cup in front of her face hid most of Weiss' blush. That ... wasn't what she'd expected. Asking to borrow her notes, sure. Maybe wondering if she could go over a crib sheet, or help her with the essay Oobleck had dropped on them at the last minute. If Yang was buttering her up, it had to be because she wanted something, a favor, not just ... _this_.

Maybe she shouldn't be so surprised. It hadbeen weeks since their last 'date,' assuming that she could call a study session in one of the library's back rooms a date. Which she probably shouldn't, even if Yang had spent the entire time being very distracting and finding excuses for their hands or legs to 'accidentally' touch. Even if Yang _had_ managed to sneak a kiss from Weiss when they were hidden by the study room wall.

"I suppose I have been a little busy lately."

Yang let out a very unladylike snort.

"Don't give me that," Weiss said, scowling. "It's hardly _my _fault that finals are coming up."

"I know. And it's okay. You're one of the 'must ace all my classes' types. But I would like to spend some time with you that doesn't involve cramming for a Grimm Theory exam."

"I need to study."

"You need to eat, too."

"... what about Ruby and Blake?"

"I'll tell 'em you and I are having a 'disagreement,'" Yang said, miming quotation marks with her fingers. "And that we need the room while we talk it out."

"... fine," Weiss said. She did need to eat eventually, and Yang had a point; there was no reason not to try and cram a little 'us' time in there as well. "I suppose you have a few errands to run."

"Yeah, I guess I do." Yang grinned as she rose, grabbing her jacket from the bed. "Oh, do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Can I have the room?"

Suppressing a growl, Weiss gathered up her books and stood to leave.

* * *

Exactly two hours later, Weiss stood in the doorway, book bag hanging limply from her hand as she stared into her dorm room. The lights were dimmed just enough to give everything a warm, orange glow. Battery powered candles flickered atop a low table in the middle of the common room, the little LEDs flickering as they tried to imitate the real thing. The table was set for two – polished china sitting atop a crisp white tablecloth, glasses and silverware arranged to surprising precision.

Behind it all stood Yang, in the cream top she always worse beneath that small black jacket, cropped so high that it was barely more than sleeves, a collar, and a stretch of leather across her back.

"What _is_ this?" Weiss asked, hastily closing the door behind her.

"Well, since you won't let me be seen with you in public-"

"Yang-"

"It's fine. I know you're worried about your family and dealing with your dad." Grinning, the blonde stepped back behind one of the chairs, pulling it away from the table. "Plus, after how fast the news about Blake being a Faunus spread, a little secrecy's probably not a bad idea."

After a second's hesitation, Weiss dropped her bag by her bed. Very pointedly _not_ looking at Yang, she sat in the chair the blonde was holding for her, and let herself by pushed forward slightly towards the table. "How exactly did you get all this in here?"

"Bribery. Open-faced threats. A little extortion," Yang called over her shoulder, before reappearing with a clear plastic pitcher of ice water. "I _may_ have been stockpiling this stuff piece by piece."

"You've been planning this for a while."

"Well, I figured if you wouldn't let me take you to a nice dinner, I could always bring the dinner to you."

Weiss kept her eyes on the plate, fiddling with her fork as Yang filled her glass. "You didn't have to do this."

"I know." Yang shrugged. "I wanted to. That really so hard to believe?"

_Honestly? _Weiss thought, still trying to take in the scene before her. Swallowing, she averted her eyes. Maybe one of these days she would get used to Yang doing things for her. Used to the idea that someone was actually doing them _for_ her, and not to curry favor with her family.

Yeah. Maybe one day pigs would fly.

"So," she managed, her throat dry. "What are we having?"

The smile on Yang's face did more to light the room than any of her candles. Whirling away to wherever she had stashed her surprises, she came back with a large porcelain serving bowl, smelling thickly of cream and cheese.

"Tortellini alfredo with sautéed onions, bell peppers, and Portobello mushrooms, with a liberal sprinkling of parsley, basil, and just a hint of garlic." Placing the bowl at the center of the table, she shrugged at Weiss' expression. "What? It's comfort food. This is about getting you to relax, remember?"

"It's a little more than just comfort food." Sighing, Weiss shifted on her chair, folding her napkin across her lap. It gave her a chance to gather herself, to think. By the time she finished, her face was back in order, calm and composed, her blush gone. Crossing her hands in her lap, she looked up at the waiting blonde and managed a small smile. "Thank you."

"Happy to do it."

Weiss took solace in the next few minutes, just listening to Yang talk as she served them both. Yang seemed happy to fill the air, talking about the pasta place she had found in downtown Vale (complete with takeout service), the next location for the Vytal tournament (Haven), or the hilarious results of a match between Nora and Cardin during one of Glynda's classes (ending in the Winchester boy getting knocked _through_ the arena wall). Weiss nodded and occasionally said something in the affirmative, catching about half of what the blonde was saying. It didn't help that Yang's top had a low neckline, or the way that black jacket of her framed her chest.

Then their plates were full, and Yang sat in the seat across from her, sweeping her massive mane of hair back out of her face. With a 'bon appetite,' they started into the meal, lapsing into a comfortable silence as they ate.

Weiss had to admit, for someone who did everything she could to avoid cooking, Yang knew her food. The creamy sauce was smooth across her tongue, the pasta soft but firm, and not the squishy mess that some places turned it into. The best part – it was warm. Weiss supposed that was another thing she associated with Yang. That sense of warmth, of heat. Much to her surprise, the heiress actually found herself ... relaxing. It was nice spending time with Yang, without ink stains on her hands or a textbook balanced on her knees

Looking up, she found Yang staring at her from across the table, her chin resting on one hand.

"What?" Weiss asked, suddenly worrying about whether she had anything stuck in her teeth.

"Nothing. Trying to figure out what to talk about." Yang smiled and reached for the parmesan. "I mean, I could ask how your day went, but I was kinda there for most of it."

Weiss nodded. She had a point. After six months living in the same dorm room, they'd mostly exhausted the normal range of conversation topics.

"What do you normally talk about on your dates?" Weiss asked, trying to be nonchalant as she speared another ring of pasta.

"Normally? Just the usual stuff – schools, interests, family." Yang paused and took a bite. "Probably not a good place to start."

"Not really," Weiss agreed. School wasn't exactly anything new, and with her father and Yang's mother ... "How is your dad, by the way?"

"He's good. Ruby and I got a message from him last week. He was really impressed by our fight in the tournament. Said you and I worked well together for the doubles match."

"That's kind of him," Weiss said. She wasn't exactly sure how to feel about that. While the Vytal festival had been ... interesting, it definitely had not been what she'd expected. _I should probably just take the compliment. _

"Have you ... told him? About us?"

Yang shook her head. "Not yet. You said you wanted to keep it quiet for a while. Figured I'd wait till you said it was okay."

"You can tell him," Weiss said quietly. It should be fine. Taiyang lived and worked on Patch Island, and while Signal was a well-known combat training school, it was a bit far for word to get all the way back to her father in Atlas. Even if he let it slip to someone, it probably wouldn't be a problem. "Just ask him not to talk about it too openly.

"Okay," Yang smiled. "He'll be happy to know I'm dating someone respectable for once."

Food halfway to her mouth, Weiss froze, then decided to not ask what that was supposed to mean. The night was going well enough – now _really_ wasn't the time to bring up Yang's dating history. Although ...

"We should probably tell Blake and Ruby too."

"You're okay with that?" Yang asked.

"They're going to find out sooner or later," Weis sighed. After all, surprise group karaoke nights and fake infighting would only last them so long. "I would rather it come from us."

Yang nodded, then grabbed her fork. "Alright, before we completely ruin the mood." Spearing one of the little folded pasta rings, she dabbed it through the sauce on her plate before holding it out in front of her. "May I?"

"Excuse me?"

The little sauce-covered ring swag back and forth. "Open wide."

"... no."

"Come on, Princess. Live a little. It's supposed to be romantic."

"Yang, that fork's been in your mouth."

The blonde chuckled. "Weiss, your _tongue _has been in my mouth. You weren't complaining about it then."

Yang dodged the thrown napkin easily enough, and managed to keep her fork held out, the speared bit of pasta hanging in the air.

Rolling her eyes, Weiss leaned forward. Careful not to look Yang in the eye, she bit the little mound of pasta off the fork, quickly leaning back to her side of the table.

"Happy now?" she asked, grabbing Yang's napkin and dabbing at her mouth.

"Yup."

Weiss rolled her eyes again and returned to her food. Trust Yang to come up with something so ridiculo-

"Hey, Weiss?"

_And to interrupt my train of thought_. Putting down her fork, Weiss stared back at the blonde, ready to throw something a lot harder than a napkin if Yang insisted on feeding her again. "Yes?"

"If you could go on any date, anything at all, what would you want to do?"

Apparently, tonight was the night for Yang to catch her off-guard.

She swallowed and took another bite, hoping it would give her a second to think.

Honestly, she didn't _know _what she'd want to do. Over the last two months, what time she'd spent thinking about their relationship's future had primarily been spent coming up with ways to keep it from her father. There was absolutely no way he would approve of Yang. _Not that I'd ever want him to._

It didn't help that she hadn't really dated before Yang. There'd been the occasional dinner date, arranged by her father with a son or daughter of one of his business partners, but nothing ... genuine. Nothing real. Nothing she'd actually _wanted_ to do, nothing she'd planned herself. As it was, she didn't have much of an idea _how _to date, not like this. Which left her list of potential date activities rather short. Something she was _not_ planning to tell Yang.

"Why do you ask?" she said, playing for time.

"Well, we've been keeping this pretty low key," Yang said, absently twirling her fork. "Which is fine. But if we ever got the chance to go _out_, what're you up for?"

"Dinner is nice."

"Come on, anything at all." Yang ducked her head a bit, angling to try and meet Weiss' eyes. "Would you wanna grab a movie? Go sightseeing?"

"That sounds fine."

"Visit an art exhibit?"

"Sure, Yang."

"... airship ride around Vale? Picnic under the stars? Murder spree? Take Port's weekend swing dance classes?"

Weiss gave the blonde her best withering scowl. "If you're testing to see if I'm paying attention-"

"Kinda, yeah."

"Then 'not really,' 'not in this weather,' 'only if you keep this up,' and 'no way in hell,'" she rattled off. "In that order."

"Fair enough," Yang chuckled. "Come on. If you could do anything, what would you want to do with me?"

Now that was _definitely_ not a question she could answer honestly.

"... have you ever been to Atlas?" Weiss asked, settling for something that wouldn't be completely mortifying.

Yang shook her head.

"If we ever got the chance, I'd like to show you the main airship station."

"O-kaaay," Yang nodded, mulling it over. "Station's a little odd for a date, but-"

"Yang, the station has at least fifteen different restaurants, with food from all over the world, as well as several cafes, a world-class shopping center, a number of boutiques, a gym, two supermarkets-"

"So not as strange as I thought," the blonde said, holding her hands up in surrender. "Yeah, that sounds like fun. You used to go there a lot?"

"Occasionally. When I was very young, we went as a family a few times." She smiled. Those were good memories, actually. Holding onto her mother's hand, or Winter's, as they toured through the massive structure, marveling at all the people crammed into the various stores. The few times her father had taken time off work to go with them. Behaving herself through dinner in the hopes of getting ice cream as a reward on the way back to their car. That had been back before the White Fang attacks increased, before ...

Weiss shook her head. This wasn't the time to reminisce. "My mother-" she started, her throat catching. She tried again, but couldn't find the words.

She started as a warm hand wrapped around her own.

"Sorry," she heard Yang say from across the table. "You don't talk about her much."

"Oh, whereas you talk about yours _all_ the time." Weiss snapped, immediately regretting it.

Yang gave a weak laugh before pulling her hand back, leaving Weiss wishing she hadn't. "Fair enough. Really ... I just don't know how supposed to feel about her."

"What do you mean?"

"After I found out about her, I came up with all these reasons why she had to leave." Pushing her plate aside, Yang leaned forward, resting her elbows in the table. "That maybe she was on a secret mission, or got stranded in Grimm territory and was slowly making her way back to us."

"Sounds like what any child missing a parent hopes for."

"Maybe. For a little while, I wondered if it my dad's fault." Yang winced, guilt flickering across her face. "I was still angry about him not telling me, angry about Summer dying and him getting lost in his grief, so I blamed him."

Yang let out a long breath, slumping a little before pushing a few stray locks out of her face. "He's never known why she left either. Just one day, she was gone."

"And now?"

"Now ..." Yang trailed off before looking back at Weiss. "Now I just want to know if I should hate her. I want to know if she didn't have a choice, or if she just didn't care enough to stick around."

Weiss nodded, her throat tight. It made sense. She'd heard a little of the story about how Yang had learned about her mother. How she'd spent years looking for her. Even thought she might have seen her, a few days before the Vytal tournament.

"You ever wonder what life would be like if she stayed?" she asked.

"Never." Yang said firmly, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "If she hadn't disappeared, Dad never would have ended up with Summer. Which means I wouldn't have Ruby." White teeth flashed in a rueful smile. "I'll take my baby sister over my deadbeat mom any day."

Weiss couldn't resist giving a little sympathetic smile in return. She hated hearing this. Not that Yang was opening up to her – _that _was welcome, flattering even. Just ... the image of a young blond girl, losing one mother only to find out she'd already lost another ... that hurt. Hurt a good deal more than she would have expected it to.

_Wherever this woman is, she has a _lot_ of explaining to do._

Biting the inside of her cheek, she reached out and laid her hand over Yang's. Violet eyes met ice-blue, and Weiss felt more than saw Yang's hand turn beneath hers, fingers twining together.

"I mean," Yang said, her voice tight. "I'm okay with how it turned out. I wouldn't trade Ruby for anything. But ... not knowing why is the worst part."

"My," Weiss started, swallowing as her voice caught again. Dammit. Yang had been open with her, she was _going_ to return the gesture.

"My mother left when I was seven."

"Sorry," Yang said and squeezed her fingers gently. Looking up, she gave a little huff of laughter. "Guess that makes us a matched set."

"Not exactly." The heiress swallowed again, her throat suddenly dry.

"It's okay," Yang said when the silence lingered. "Don't feel like you have to-"

Weiss shook her head. As well-meaning this was, the last thing she needed was Yang's interruptions. "It's not ... I know why my mother left, Yang. I don't blame her. Not for that."

_I just wish she'd taken us with her._

She forgot how long she sat there, Yang's hand in hers, trying to come up with some way to say ... she wasn't sure what. Finally, Yang pulled away, sitting back in her chair and cracking her neck.

"O-kay. 'Nuff of that," she said a little too loudly, clearing her throat. "We've got the rest of the evening to ourselves, and I'll be dammed if we're gonna spend the entire time moping." Yang glanced over at their mostly-cleared plates before meeting Weiss' eyes. "You finished?"

Weiss took a breath and nodded. She didn't have much of an appetite anymore.

While Yang stood and cleared the table, Weiss reached for her glass and downed half of it one go. The ice water was freezing, chilling the back of her throat, making it ache. Still, it was a welcome change from the lump that had sat there for the last ... how long was it? Ten minutes? Twenty?

"Come on," Yang said once the remnants of dinner were put away, hopefully where curious sisters and teammates wouldn't find them. "Let's do something fun. Wanna prop up your scroll and watch a movie?" She flopped back in her chair, pulling out her own scroll and flicking through her movie collection. "We could sit back on your bed, find something funny, something silly, maybe with way too many explosions ..."

Weiss nodded absently. That sounded nice. Relaxing. Then again, once they told Blake and Ruby, they'd be able to get away with some level of affection in the privacy of their own dorm room. Not too much, but sitting next to each other during a movie wasn't something that would mortally embarrass her.

This, however, might be their one and only chance to be alone, for at least a while. Truly alone.

Had the room always felt this small?

"Yang," she said, fists clenched, nails digging into her palm.

Yang looked up from her scroll. "Mhmm?"

"How long did you say Blake and Ruby would be gone?"

"All night. They're sleeping over in Pyrrha and Nora's room."

"And the door is locked?"

"...yeah," Yang nodded, glancing at the deadbolt to make sure. "Why?

Weiss didn't answer for a moment, hands still balled into fists on her knees.

"Close your eyes."

Yang's eyes narrowed as she grinned. "You gonna throw another napkin at me?"

"Yang, just do it, alright?"

The blonde met her gaze, and shrugged. Turning off her scroll, Yang pushed it aside and closed her eyes. "By the way, when I said 'something silly,' this really wasn't what I had in mi-"

Violet eyes snapped open as Weiss seated herself atop Yang's lap. Her mouth opened to ask something that should have been obvious, before the words died in her throat as Weiss leaned forward and kissed her.

The heiress felt a surge of pride as Yang went rigid with shock, legs and arms tensing beneath the smaller girl. Then a pair of muscled arms wound themselves around her waist, and Weiss let Yang pull her closer. She leaned into the kiss, hands running through Yang's long hair, back arching as a hand moved slowly up her back.

Weiss was breathless by the time they came apart. Gasping for air, she stared at Yang, taking solace that the blonde looked as overwhelmed as she felt.

"We can't be sure when we'll have the room to ourselves again," she said, speaking quickly before Yang could kiss her again. "I figured ... we should take advantage of the opportunity. If you want."

"To do what, exactly?" Yang asked, her voice low and raw.

Never breaking eye contact, Weiss brought her hands up to the collar of her uniform and pulled the little red ribbon loose. Now wasn't the time to think about how she was straddling Yang's thighs, if her hands were shaking, or how her heart was beating a mile a minute. Slowly, trying desperately to avoid fumbling something and making a complete fool of herself, Weiss unbuttoned her shirt. Ring after ring slipped from the holes, until the white cloth fell open all the way to the waistband of her skirt, showing off the toned skin and the white lacy bra underneath.

"Do you really have to ask?"

* * *

**Writer's Note:**

So, there we go. If you enjoyed that, please leave a review if you can - I really enjoy reading comments and seeing what people liked and disliked. Before anyone asks, both Yang and Weiss have turned eighteen by this point in time.

Now, for those interested in seeing what happened that night, I strongly suggest you suggest you head to the Archive of Our Own version in a few days or so, (and subscribe if you have an account and want updates) – I'll be separating it out so this fic can keep its rating.

As a side note, the airship station in Atlas is liberally based off of the shopping area below the train station in Zurich. If you ever get the chance, I strongly suggest checking it out.


	6. First Time

**First Time**

"Your legs are really smooth."

Weiss froze mid-kiss, her mouth still half open. Pulling back, she glared at the girl sitting beneath her, her hands resting on bare skin below the hem Weiss' skirt. It was enough to hold the lighter girl in place, to keep her secure atop Yang's thighs, although she found herself wishing Yang's grip was a little bit stronger and a good deal higher.

"_That's_ what you're thinking about right now?"

"Sorry," Yang said, her face flushed. "First thing that came to mind."

"The first thing?"

"Yeah, after 'Oh wow, we're really doing this.'"

Weiss let out a breath of air that was more nervous laugh than sigh. Closing her eyes, she nudged herself forward on Yang's lap, moving until her hips pressed against the blonde's abs through her clothes. Her arms twined behind Yang's neck as their mouths came together, meeting in long, slow kisses that left no time for air.

Yang's hand came away from her knee to press against the small of Weiss' back. A soft hum came from her throat as she let Yang pull her closer, hold her tighter. It was nice. Really nice. She could feel the edge of Yang's jacket brushing her cheek, the heat coming from the blonde's body, her skin visible above the black shirt cupping her considerable breasts. Weiss just wished-

"Weiss," Yang whispered, speaking from the corner of her mouth while the heiress kept stubbornly kissing the other. "Can I ..." she trailed off, but the fingertips just barely brushing under Weiss' skirt left little doubt over what she was asking.

"_Please_." Weiss blushed – she hadn't meant to sound so ... pleading.

A grin flashed across Yang's mouth, fading as she rose up to kiss her again. The blonde's hands came back to Weiss' knees, pushing up until they slid beneath the edge of her skirt. Weiss twitched as fingertips traced their way up her thighs, the feeling odd but not at all unwelcome. Her skirt hiked up a little as the hands slid higher, past the tails of her shirt, cupping the curve of her ass. From instinct more than anything, Weiss slid her hips back, grinding along Yang's thighs before a firm squeeze pulled her back.

"Wouldn't know it, since I only ever see you in dresses and your uniform," Yang breathed, mischief in her eyes. "But you have a really nice ass."

"It's a combat skirt, you oaf."

Another squeeze, and Yang tugged her forward, the chair thumping against the ground. Weiss shivered, as much from the cold as excitement – she'd forgotten how late it was. The night air was already starting to chill their drafty room. Every inch of exposed skin would be freezing if it weren't for the searing heat beneath her, the warm lips against the line of her jaw, and the hot hands currently palming her ass.

Another kiss, another half-second breath, and one hand pulled out from beneath her skirt, sliding beneath her open shirt to cup her left side. Weiss almost complained, until Yang's skin touched hers and warmth flooded along her flesh. Weiss supposed she should be flattered – every inch of Yang was giving off heat, radiating through her clothes like a human-shaped furnace. The cheeky hand slid higher, making Weiss shiver as it ran across her ribs, then edging back towards the clasp of her bra.

Weiss broke the kiss and pulled away, moving until Yang's hand slipped out from beneath her shirt.

"Too much?" Yang asked, brow knit, the concern obvious in her eyes.

"No." Weiss said, louder and faster than she'd meant to. _Hell no. _Stepping off of Yang's lap, Weiss moved over to the wall, looking at anything but Yang.

_No time like the present. _Swallowing, she flicked the switch on the wall, and the already dim lights went out. The curtains were pulled – thankfully – but the little LED candles gave off just enough light to see the look on the blonde's face when Weiss started walking back across the room.

"You ... are wearing far too many clothes."

In an instant, Yang's fingers were unbuckling her jacket. Gone was the slow pace and careful touch, replaced by an immediate, desperate need to get all that constricting clothing _off. _Weiss let herself enjoy the moment, eyes wandering as Yang started unzipping her top. Cream-colored fabric peeled away to reveal a black tank that left plenty of cleavage to admire, followed by the well-defined muscles of her biceps

She jerked back into motion as Yang's hands went to the straps holding up her stockings. Trying to ignore the increasingly distracting blonde, she got to work on her own clothes. Hiking up the back of her shirt, Weiss reached behind her back and undid the clasp of her bra. Sliding the straps off her shoulders and down her arms, she pulled the bra loose, then carefully tugged it out from beneath her open shirt.

By the time she finished, Yang was down to her shirt and skirt, stockings left abandoned on the side of her bunk. Before she could get up, Weiss sat herself back on the blonde's legs, sighing as the heat flowed back into her. For a second, she just sat there, pressed against Yang's hard core and annoyingly large chest, enjoying the warmth of her own personal space heater.

Yang didn't seem to mind the pause. Her arms wrapped around Weiss' back, gently pulling her close. Weiss' head slid neatly into the hollow of her neck, and as the heiress' eyes slid shut, she could feel Yang's chin rest atop her shoulder. They fit together perfectly – so perfectly that for a second, Weiss didn't even mind that she was a good head and a half shorter than the other woman. It was just too comfortable, lying against Yang's strong muscles and soft curves.

Turning her head, Weiss pressed her lips to the side of Yang's neck. Yang took a quick breath in surprise – she'd actually caught the blonde off-guard for once – before craning her neck as far as she could to return the favor. She ended up kissing the side of Weiss' head more than her neck, but right then, the white-haired girl couldn't bring herself to care.

Pulling only as far away as she had to, Weiss reached up with one hand, resting it against Yang's jaw in a silent plea. The brawler looked down at her, lilac eyes meeting ice-blue, shining with something Weiss had never expected to see in another person. Especially not directed at _her._

They kissed, Weiss' hand sliding through golden waves to cup the back of Yang's neck. A hand slipped beneath her shirt, making her gasp in surprise as it touched the taut plane of her stomach. The other cupped the back of her own head, holding her in the embrace, before slowly sliding down her neck, and carefully pushing the collar of her shirt down past her shoulder.

Weiss' eyes went wide, a sudden surge of nerves running through her. Pulling away, she coughed, trying to hide anything that might be showing on her face, and quickly tugged the top of her shirt back into place.

"Sorry. If you don't want to-" Yang started, before Weiss cut her off.

"I do." God, that was the _last_ thing she wanted Yang to think. "Just ... I'll take it off when I'm ready."

Relief washed over the blonde's face. "Sounds good. Whatever makes you comfortable." Smiling again, she sat perfectly still until Weiss eased herself forward, returning to her place against Yang's front.

"Plus," she purred, one hand brushing the side of Weiss' thigh as she whispered into her ear. "I kinda have a thing for the whole 'naked girl in dress shirt' cliché."

"... good to know," Weiss said dryly, hoping the darkness was enough to hide the heat rising to her face. "Although I think we're both a little overdressed for that."

Thankfully, Yang's hands stayed at the relative safety of her legs, running up and down her thighs as they tried to get back into the mood. Glancing up for permission, Weiss met those lavender eyes, and gingerly eased one hand beneath Yang's tank. The blonde's stomach tightened as her fingertips brushed along the hard abs beneath. She stroked across rows of solid muscle, sculpted by hours at the gym and on the training field, finding the slight dip of the other girls' navel. It had come as a surprise to her that first night in the dorms – she'd caught a sideways glimpse as Yang changed into her pajamas, shedding her shirt and teaching Weiss that she apparently had a thing for washboard abs. And now ... now Yang was letting the heiress touch her, run her hands across the tight curves of muscle.

Weiss blushed as Yang's hands crept higher. That was enough – she'd lingered long enough. Pushing her nerves aside, Weiss swallowed, letting her hands drift down the eight-pack in front of her, and reached for the zipper at the back of Yang's skirt.

"Wait." The brawler's hands came down atop Weiss', stopping the heiress before she could undo the catch. "We need to talk."

The heiress couldn't quite keep the annoyance from her voice. "Yang, right now I _really_ don't want talk." _Can we just go ten seconds without something going wrong?_

Weiss pressed her lips back to Yang's throat, listening as the other girl let out a long, whining groan. "I mean, I need a sec to grab a con-"

"It's fine."

Yang's hands squeezed, slowly drawing Weiss' hands away. "It'll take me ten seconds to get to the drawer. There's no reason to risk-"

"Yang, we both know you don't have anything I need to worry about."

"... how do you know that?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Because after you went to the nurse to get tested, you left your results face-up in the trash can."

A look of sheer horror crossed Yang's face. Accepting that the mood was well and truly killed, Weiss nudged herself back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You really should shred documents like that. You're just lucky_ I_ saw them instead of Ruby."

"Please tell me you-"

"Tore them into tiny pieces and tossed them in the dumpster? Of course I did."

"Thanks." Yang said, actually looking sheepish for once. "I wasn't expecting ... _this_. I just figured, you know, on the off chance something happened ... I wanted to make sure."

"And I appreciate the concern. Now, please shut up and kiss me."

Yang pulled away, the embarrassment still coloring her face. "Weiss, wait. We still need to-"

"Dammit, Yang!" _Why did she have to make this so difficult?_

"Weiss, if you've been with anyone-"

"I haven't, _alright_? You don't have anything to worry about!"

Weiss scowled from atop Yang's lap, shoulders hunched forward. For once, Yang was speechless, just staring at her, mouth slightly open.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Yang closed her mouth and blinked. "I just assumed-"

Weiss bristled, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. _How dare she think ... _"Assumed what, exactly?"

Weiss could see the gears turning in Yang's head. "You have a tendency to want to lead. Made me think you'd done this before." The blonde weighed each word before she said it, ending with something far more politic than Weiss normally expected from her.

She ... had a point. So far, Weiss had usually been the person pushing the next step in their relationship. Granted, Yang kissed her first ... after she'd spent over a month crawling off-and-on into the blonde's bed.

"Does the fact that I'm a virgin matter that much to you?" she said, her voice quiet.

"No." Yang smiled softly and reached out, one hand coming up to brush her arm. "You just surprised me. And it means a lot that you'd give me your first time."

"I-it's not that big a deal," Weiss glowered, slapping her other arm with an open palm. "And stop smiling!"

Still angry, Weiss let herself be pulled forward until she rested against Yang's chest. One hand came up to the top of her head, slowly stroking down the white tresses. "Weiss, I'm glad you trust me enough to want to do this."

Then, in a quieter voice that brought back Weiss' blush in spades, Yang whispered, "And I'm gonna rock your world."

"... after putting me through all this, you'd better."

Yang chuckled and got back to work repairing the shattered remnants of their mood. Weiss managed to hold her pout all the way until the blonde's mouth closed on the pulse point in her neck. Then her eyes drifted shut, a quiet hum coming from her throat as Yang's lips moved up to her collarbone, then over until they found her mouth. Weiss tried to focus, to do something more than sit there, paralyzed, heart hammering as Yang kissed her. Yang's lips on her skin, fingers lingering by her jaw before slowly drifting up to hold her close ...

Then Yang's fingers brushed innocently against Weiss' scar, and it was all the heiress could do to keep still. She fought and failed to keep from flinching back, every muscle in her body suddenly tense as adrenaline rushed through her system. Her eyes squeezed shut as her jaw clenched, her heart beating a mile a minute as she forced herself to breathe.

To the blonde's credit, the second she saw Weiss' reaction, she stopped, hands still as she waited.

"Sorry, Yang. It's ... probably a good idea if we don't do that."

"Weiss ..."

The heiress shuddered as Yang spoke. Her eyes stayed shut. Hearing Yang's voice was bad enough. She didn't need – couldn't bear – to see the look on her face. No matter what it was. Shock, sympathy, horror. Or worst of all: pity.

"Can we not talk about this?" she managed, trying to keep her voice steady. "Not now. Not tonight."

"Weiss, you ca-"

"_Please_, Yang. I don't ... don't let me ruin tonight."

Yang was quiet for a long while. Then her hand slid down to the small of Weiss' back, gently pulling her close until Weiss rested against her chest. "You're not ruining anything," she said finally, letting out a long breath. "Alright. Not tonight."

Weiss nodded, throat bobbing. "Do you still want to-"

"Anything you want," Yang said before she could finish. "Whatever you want."

"I want you." Weiss paused and swallowed. Her throat was tight and aching, the knot only just now starting to fade. Forcing herself to open her yes, she looked up at Yang, dreading what she might see. "If you're okay ... with me."

The look on Yang's face as she gathered Weiss up into her arms and carried her to bed left absolutely no doubt that she was.

* * *

"If you're not ready to tell them," Yang said, one hand carding through her bed-mussed curls. "We can wait a little longer."

Weiss kept her eyes trained on the closet mirror, adjusting her bolero one more time while Yang watched from the bed. They'd slept late, neither opening their eyes until well after dawn, neither wanting to leave the warm confines of Yang's bed. Around eight thirty, the blonde had finally gotten them both moving – she'd asked Blake to make sure they had the room to themselves until at least ten, but keeping the other half of Team RWBY out of their dorm any longer just wasn't fair.

Finally satisfied with the small jacket, Weiss fixed her side-tail and turned back to her girlfriend. "It's not that. I'm fine with ... Well, I will get _used_ to people knowing about us."

"Then, what?" Yang asked, fiddling with her scroll, resisting the urge to ask what she really wanted to. Weiss hadn't said a word about the scars Yang had found the night before, and the brawler had a sneaking suspicion it might be a while before she did.

_She'll talk about it when she's ready, I guess, _Yang thought, deciding to hold off on doing an internet search on burn scars. _Then again, knowing her ..._

"You don't think they can keep a secret?" she said instead, sticking to the safer topic.

Weiss shook her head. "No, I trust them. That was never the issue. I just think that the best way to keep this from my father is to tell absolutely _no one. _Plus," the heiress said, voice catching as color rose in her cheeks. "Part of me may have liked having you all to myself."

"You liked having a secret love affair?" Yang grinned as she rose from the mattress, unable to put off getting out of bed any longer.

"Didn't you?"

"Yeah, I guess. Didn't really have you pegged as a fan of trashy romance plots though." Yang smirked, grabbing her towel from the rack. "That's really more of a Blake thing."

"Yang Xiao Long," Weiss growled, levelling her best scowl at the blonde. "There is absolutely nothing 'trashy' about my love life."

Yang grinned and held her hands up in surrender. Careful not to touch Weiss' right side, she leaned in and kissed the smaller woman on the cheek.

"See you at breakfast, kay?" she called over the shoulder, closing the bathroom door behind her.

The rest of the day went by in what passed for 'quiet' by Beacon standards. No noticeable explosions, no one sent hurtling through any ceilings or crashing back down. Oobleck's essay took longer than Yang had expected – although Blake joining her in the library halfway through made it a good deal easier. Their golden-eyed teammate always had a knack for finding a good way around a topic, and her talents as a walking thesaurus never hurt.

Resigned and with little else to do, Yang kept working until her scroll pinged, a message from Weiss flashing briefly at the top. She'd found Ruby, brought her back to the room.

_Well, here goes nothing._

"Blake," Yang said a few minutes later, the Faunus girl in tow as they headed back to their dorm. "Could you do me a favor?"

Dark hair flicked as Blake turned to look at her. "Don't tell me you and Weiss need another night to 'hash things out.'"

Yang winced, more at her partner's use of air quotes than her tone. "Yeah, sorry about that. Just ... try to act surprised. Please?"

It was impressive how quickly Blake could switch her expression from aggravated to perfectly neutral. "Surprised about what, Yang?" she asked, managing to sound almost completely sincere.

Yang rolled her eyes and opened the door to the room the four shared. Weiss and Ruby were already inside, Weiss seated on her bed while Ruby stretched out across Blake's, her feet kicking absently. Both turned to look as the other half of the team walked in, Weiss' eyes catching Yang's before she looked away, a hint of pink tinting her cheeks.

Looking completely nonplussed, Blake stepped past Yang, tapping Ruby's legs and sitting down beside her on the bed.

"Ruby. Blake," Weiss began, trying to ignore the blush threatening to creep up her face. She just needed to get this over with. Fast and quick. Like ripping off a bandage. "Yang and I have something to tell you."

The youngest member of Team RWBY looked between the two older girls, her eyes getting steadily wider.

"Um, is this one of those conversations where you ask me to sit down, because you have really, really bad news and if I'm not sitting now, you think I'll fall over or something?"

"No, Ruby, it's-"

"Because the last time someone 'had something to tell me,' it was Dad saying Uncle Qrow was going to be gone on a mission for, like, _forever_, and the time before that ..."

"Told you that wasn't a good idea," Yang muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

"... that Yang was going to be moving to Beacon and I'd be alone with Dad on Patch, and the time before that-"

"Both of you, shut it!" Weiss snapped, glaring daggers at the sisters.

Ruby's mouth snapped shut. Rubbing at the bridge of her nose, Weiss took a deep breath. It was fine. It really was. She just had to get through this quickly and calmly before anyone else had any smart things to say.

Ignoring the smirk Blake wasn't even bothering to hide, Weiss folded her hands in her lap and looked at her teammates.

"I just need you all to be serious for one second," she said, calm and patient. "Yang and I ... we're dating."

Weiss had expected disbelief, maybe happy bouncing, or a little shrieking. Ruby seemed the type to take the idea of her sister dating pretty well. Maybe there'd be some awkwardness with Ruby's partner dating her sister, but they could get over that fairly quickly. She'd probably be happy for them. There'd just be that first few moments of surprise and weirdness. She could handle that.

Instead, she got ... nothing. Well, almost nothing.

"Oh!" Ruby said eventually. "I-I had no idea. Like, _no _idea. Oh wow, you two really hid that well. I never would have guessed. That's awesome!"

... that wasn't right. Weiss _knew _that wasn't right. 'Surprised' Ruby was usually more animated, more energetic. She wouldn't just ...

Weiss glared suspiciously over at Blake. "You're being awfully quiet."

"I'm just so ... surprised," Blake said, eyebrows raised in a textbook expression of mild astonishment. "I mean, this is really, truly ... surprising. Completely unexpected. I could not have seen this coming."

The heiress' eyes narrowed to slits as she glanced between her teammates. "You knew," she said quietly, her mouth a tight, angry line. "You both knew."

"Don't look at me." Yang laughed, hands up as Weiss turned her scowl on her girlfriend. "I didn't tell them."

Holding the glare just long enough to make sure the blonde was telling the truth, Weiss turned back to Blake. "How long have you known?"

"Since the first time you crawled into Yang's bed."

* * *

**Writer's Note: Sorry about the delay - it's an unfortunate feature of my writing style. Hopefully the more risque version from Yang's POV will be done and up on Archive a bit quicker (that version will be uncut and goes past Yang carrying her to bed.)**

**Considering a bit of a bombshell got dropped here, please take a second to do a review and tell me what you thought. Even if it's just a short little thing about whether or not you thought it worked. I know it didn't go into too much detail right there, but it should be coming up in a future chapter. Anyway, thank you all for reading and hopefully, I'll be back with another chapter sooner rather than later.**


	7. Time Flies

**Author's Note: Cover art was commissioned from the incredibly talented Skiretehfox. If you haven't, you should really check out their tumblr.**

* * *

**Time Flies**

"Hey Weiss?"

Weiss flinched at the sound of the blonde's voice. She knew that tone – Yang only used it when she was about to do something to annoy her. Looking up from her work, she found the blonde standing by her desk, frowning down at one of their textbooks.

"What do you want?" she asked warily. After yet another failed attempt to use her summoning sigil, she needed time alone. Unfortunately, it seemed the rest of her team had picked up on her mood – Blake had tried brewing her favorite tea, Ruby kept bringing her little snacks to cheer her up, always with a word of unneeded and unwanted encouragement.

She sighed. The whole point of moving to one of the lesser-used study halls was to have some time to herself. _Doesn't look like I'm that lucky._

Yang bit her lip in thought. "It's Oobleck's assignment. Do you know how to use that one law to figure out the impact force of a projectile, when you're got wind resistance and stuff?"

Weiss blinked. She expected a pun, or some crack about her being an ice queen. Ruby and Blake had already tried to cheer her up – she'd assumed it was Yang's turn. Her turn to try to lift her spirits and annoy her.

Then again, maybe the blonde realized she wasn't in the mood for their antics. Maybe she really was just here for help, or maybe it was her own way of trying to take her mind of things. That seemed like her, to try and make Weiss feel better by giving her something she could help with.

Weiss sighed and set her books aside. "Which law are you looking at?"

"Cole's."

Weiss opened her mouth to answer, then stopped, cocking her head to the side. What was Yang talking about? She couldn't think of any of the physical laws from someone with that name. "Yang, what's Cole's Law?"

The second she saw the grin creeping across Yang's mouth, she knew what she'd done.

"Sliced cabbage, mostly."

Of course. Of course it was another god-awful pun. Another _stupid_ attempt to change her mood when all she wanted was some quiet.

Resisting the urge to throttle the blonde, Weiss groaned and thumped her head down onto her textbook. This was her fault. She was the one who had fallen for Yang, despite her sense of humor.

"Hey, Weiss. What do you call a beowolf with one leg?"

"For the love of God, Yang!" Weiss spoke through her teeth, her face a furious scowl. "I just want everyone to leave me alone! Stop trying to cheer me up!"

Yang's smile slipped a bit, but she held her ground, meeting Weiss' glare head-on. "No."

"Why? Why is it _so_ important to you?"

"Because you stew." Yang said flatly, not backing down. "Not a ton, just when you feel like you've screwed up. Or failed, or, I dunno, fell short of whatever toxic expectations you dad had for you."

"Yang-" Weiss said, warningly.

"Weiss, when you're mad at yourself, you get quiet and you get prickly. You go off on your own to lash yourself for whatever it is you feel you've screwed up. You sulk and you let whatever's bothering you fester and claw at you for days." Taking a breath, she leaned back against the desk, half-sitting on the edge. "Ruby gets worried. Half the time she thinks she's done something to piss you off."

"... I didn't mean for her to think that."

"I know," she nodded. "But she'd still worry. Blake worries. _I worry._"

Pursing her lips in tight line, Weiss took a long slow breath.

"Alright, Yang," she said tersely. "You've made your point. I'm sorry I worried you. But I really _do_ just want to be alone right now."

"Liar." The blonde sighed and shook her head. "Fine. What do you call the most beautiful girl in school?"

"I _don't know_, Yang. And I don't car-"

"You."

"_Really_?" Weiss snapped, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Even for you, that was terrible. It doesn't even make any sen ... what are you doing?"

Yang had stepped around the table to stand by Weiss, leaning down until they were practically face-to face.

"Breaking out the big guns." Using just her thumb and forefinger, Yang reached down and gently tugged Weiss' chin to look up at her.

Weiss swallowed. There was a determined look in Yang's eyes. Eyes locked on her mouth, with a look of wanting she had never seen from the blonde before. Not during the day at least. Only at night, when they were truly alone-

"May I?" Yang asked softly, breaking her train of thought.

Weiss didn't answer. Couldn't answer. Yang was so close ...

"How about this?" Yang's voice was barely above a whisper. "You don't have to say anything. But if you want this, here, now, when anyone could walk by and see us, just nod."

Barely able to think, she glanced down at Yang's mouth. _She cannot possibly ... we're in the library. In _public_! She can't mean to ... it's just another joke. Another tease, trying to keep me off-balance. _Her heat beating a mile a minute, she swallowed again, and nodded.

Yang leaned in and gently pressed her lips to Weiss'. Every fiber of the heiress' body tensed beneath her, still unable to believe that this was really happening. If anyone walked around the bookcases, if they climbed up on one of the ladders to grab a tome from the upper shelves, they would see what they were doing. They would see Yang holding her, _kissing_ her. It would only be a matter of time before the whole school heard - her classmates weren't exactly known for keeping secrets. Then it would only be a matter of time, eventually her father would find out. Would realize she'd defied him, spited him. That she'd ignored his desire to marry her off to a son of one of his business colleagues. That she'd sullied her reputation with a gorgeous blonde whose every aspect he would despise.

Something snapped, and she grabbed for Yang. Her angry little fists bunched in Yang's jacket, pulling the blonde closer, trapping her in place. When they came apart, Yang's face was red, her teeth playing with her lip as she caught her breath. Weiss doubted her blush was any better. _Did that really just happen?_

"I thought you were here to cheer me up."

"I am." Yang's blush made her grin more sheepish than cocky. "Did it work?"

"... yes."

* * *

Weiss sighed as Yang's hands pressed into the knots in her shoulders. This, she decided, was the best part of dating the blonde. Sure, just being around Yang was nice, even when the brawler felt like teasing her. Having someone to sleep beside, to keep her company, to somehow just _make _everything better even when there wasn't anything she could actually do ... alright, there were a lot of great parts.

But Yang's massages definitely took the cake.

"I think you missed your calling," she said, sighing as Yang's thumbs dug in, easing yet another spot of tension out of her muscles. _God, she knows _exactly_ where to push._

"Glad you're enjoying it." Weiss couldn't see Yang's grin, not with her eyes shut and her head against the pillow. But she heard it in her voice, in the playful lilt to the last word.

The blonde leaned in, her lips brushing against Weiss' ear. "Wonder what you'll think when I give you your 'happy ending.'"

* * *

Yang tried her best not to smile. She really did. But coming into the room to find Weiss trying on her on-the-town clothes was too cute for her to keep a straight face.

The deer-in-the headlights expression from Weiss didn't help matters. The shorter girl was standing in front of their closet mirror, hands still clutching the lapels of the cream-colored top as she stared, mortified, at Yang.

To be honest, the jacket wasn't all that out of character for her - a short scrap of a thing that barely came halfway down Yang's back and covered the tops of her arms. It was slightly bigger on Weiss - smaller shoulders - but it wasn't too out of character for her. If anything, the black leather gave her a cute, rebellious look, something Yang made a note to mention the next time they went shopping.

The double-breasted top was another story. Hip-hugging on Yang, it came down almost to the knees on her shorter girlfriend. But the top was designed for someone of Yang's size - even zipping it all the way up, there was little Weiss could do about the several inches of space around the chest.

"You having fun there, snowflake?" Yang smiled and closed the door behind her, locking it on the off-chance it wasn't one of their teammates who next came to the door.

"Don't you knock?" Weiss snapped, crossing her arms firmly over her chest, trying her best to look angry and intimidating despite the too-large clothes.

Rolling her eyes, Yang walked behind Weiss, moving until she could look into the mirror, glancing over Weiss' choices with a critical eye.

"The jacket suits you."

Weiss' glare slackened as she glanced back at the mirror. "... you really think so?"

"Yeah. We find you some boots, figure out what you have that'd match, and you'll be the perfect rebellious princess." Yang gave her most devilish grin and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's shoulders, nuzzling into her hair. "Your father will want to murder me."

* * *

"What did you just say?"

Weiss's face went scarlet. She had never been this embarrassed in her life – not when Yang had kissed her the first time with practically no warning, not when Blake had walked in on them cuddling, not when Ruby had accidentally spilled the beans to Pyrrha during one of their practice missions.

It didn't help that Yang had her pinned to the bed by her wrists. Or that with Yang on top, she had a truly amazing view down her girlfriend's top. Or the predatory look in Yang's eyes as she stared down at her, mouth slightly open in disbelief.

God, all she wanted was to cover her face and hide, and with Yang holding her down, she couldn't even do that.

When she didn't answer, Yang leaned in closer, leaving a kiss against her collarbone that made Weiss' legs tremble. "Did you just call me 'sir'?

"Can we pretend I didn't just say that?" Weiss asked, biting back a moan as Yang worked her way up her hadn't meant to say it, hadn't _wanted_to say it. It just slipped out, a shameful reminder from one of Blake's torrid romances ... and a particularly memorable dream involving Yang.

"Just ... please?"

Yang leaning down so her lips brushed against Weiss' ear, sending a whole new wave of warmth and embarrassment coursing through her. Weiss couldn't see the blonde's face, not at this angle, but she heard the grin in her voice, the sadistic joy that made Weiss' heart beat even faster in her chest.

"No way in hell."

* * *

**Author's Note: There should be more of this soon, but I wanted to get some of these out for the AO3 and FF readers. Also there's some new art thanks to Skire. So, if you can, go check out their stuff on tumblr! They're really good.**


	8. Midwinter

**Midwinter**

Professor Goodwitch?" Yang called, knocking twice on the open door. "You have a second?"

The bespectacled teacher closed her eyes and resisted the urge to let out a long, aggravated sigh. With the midwinter break only two days away, she had hoped most of the students would be too busy with their vacation plans and joy over finishing finals for them to bother her. For the most part, they were – one look out her curtained windows would have shown packs of teenagers running in the cold winter air, enjoying the inch of fresh snow that fell the night before, and generally causing whatever last bits of chaos and mayhem they could squeeze in before loading onto the trains and airships and returning to their families.

This year, like every year, she was at her desk while they rushed about and reveled in their newfound and very temporary freedom. She still had several classes' worth of papers left to grade, filling up the black receptacle she used for an inbox. While there was no particular rush to finish these – the students wouldn't get their results back until they returned to school – she liked to get the marking done early. Better finish now and have her few days off in relative ease than leave a mountain of badly-written, misspelled, and poorly thought-out exam answers looming over her.

Halfway through a step-by-step dissection of Mr. Winchester's ... _paper_ (she refused to call it an essay), Glynda looked up, peering over the rim of her glasses at the young woman who stood in her doorway.

"Not really," she said, returning to the paper lying on her desk, lines of red filling the margins as she pointed out the various missteps in the boy's logic. _Honestly, how he graduated from combat school is beyond me._

"What is it, Miss Xiao Long?"

"It's gonna sound weird." The blonde girl walked into the room, biting down on her lip and bouncing slightly while she waited for Glynda to finish marking one last page. "I was hoping you could give us some extra work over the break."

_That _got her attention. Frowning, Glynda set her pen down and turned her full attention on the young huntress-in-training.

This was not a conversation she had ever expected to have. While far from the worst student, Yang Xiao Long had never struck her as particularly studious. She had excellent marks in combat training, and while her scores in her history classes lagged somewhat, she was well within the top third of her class – something Glynda put down to the influence of Miss Schnee and Miss Belladonna. Still, the last thing she would have expected was _Yang _asking for more work.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" she asked, waving to one of the empty chairs before folding her hands on the desk.

"I dunno?" Yang shrugged and sat. She seemed ... not nervous. Not quite. Anxious, perhaps. Worried.

That was even odder. Glynda had kept a close eye on Team RWBY over the past months, and this was far from normal behavior for the young woman. Granted, her attention was more due to Ozpin's insistence on letting an underage girl take the role of team leader. But there was also the fact that the team's roster included both daughters of team STRQ, as well as the irony of the daughters of both Jacques Schnee and Ghira Belladonna ending up on the same team. _She_ had suggested putting those two pairs in separate teams – even with Blake hiding her ears, it was bound to become a problem eventually. It was just a matter of time until someone put two and two together, and noticed Blake's name and her resemblance to her father.

But Ozpin had insisted on it, without explanation, just like always. Glynda supposed she saw the value in giving the Chieftain's daughter and the Schnee heiress a shared history, and hopefully a friendship they would reflect on later in life. But would it kill the old man to discuss these machinations with her _before_ he decided to play peacemaker?

Yang was still shifting uncomfortably in her chair. "A group assignment. Like tailing an experienced huntsman as a team? Some sort of shadowing ... thing, like we did with Oobleck."

"_Doctor_ Oobleck," Glynda corrected her on instinct. "We haven't arranged any exercises like that. We _will_ be doing a similar team exercise in the spring—"

Yang shook her head. "It needs to be now."

"Alright then," Glynda took a breath and pinned the young blonde with a piercing stare. "Why?"

"I ... can't tell you."

Glynda raised one pale eyebrow and waited, watching as Yang sensed her disapproval.

"It's ... I have a friend who has a ... problem. And this is the only idea I got that won't make things worse." Her voice got lower, a hint of anger creeping into her tone. "They won't let me do anything else."

"This involves one of your teammates?"

Yang's jaw clenched once, but she didn't speak.

Leaning back in her chair, Glynda regarded Yang with a steady gaze. That made quite a bit more sense, actually. Yang wasn't here for herself, she was here for one of her teammates – her friends. Which meant it wasn't about the work. She'd asked for her whole team to be assigned to this 'mission.' And since she said it had to be _now,_ this had to do with the midwinter break in some way.

Letting Yang stew, Glynda opened her scroll and pulled up the travel documents for the four young women. Yang and Ruby were taking the airship to Patch. No surprise there. With their home so close, it was natural for the girls to go visit their father.

Blake also had a ticket on the same airship, bound for the island. Again, it made sense. Menagerie was too far for a holiday trip, especially when the only publically available way to travel there was by boat. And if Blake was trying to keep the connection between herself and her father quiet ... it made sense that she would choose to spend her vacation with the sisters. But Weiss...

Weiss was headed for Atlas.

Closing her scroll, Glynda looked back at Yang, pretending not to notice the young woman's fidgeting. That left several options. One, Yang was trying to avoid going home. It seemed unlikely – Taiyang was on good terms with his daughters, and the two sent letters back and forth regularly. She might be willing to put it down to Yang being reluctant to introduce Blake to him ... but then why invite Blake at all? The girl could have stayed at Beacon over the break, and if Yang was so intent on not splitting up the team, Glynda doubted Taiyang would have pressed the issue.

Which left Weiss. The only one not headed to Patch. And if _she _was the one with the 'problem' ... it wasn't too hard to guess why. Yang could be frivolous, but she wouldn't go this far just because she wanted her team together for the holiday. From the complaints the school had received, it seemed like Miss Schnee and her father weren't on speaking terms. Apparently, Weiss wasn't answering his calls, and Jacques Schnee had turned to pressuring the school to force the issue. So far, Ozpin had given him the run-around – the school wasn't responsible for maintaining communications between their students and their parents – but if he'd finally found a way to leverage her into coming back to Atlas ...

It still didn't quite explain why Yang was so adamant about this. Whatever private 'problem' Weiss had, it was clearly something Yang knew and wasn't comfortable sharing. Which, of course, could be anything ... but she'd met Jacques Schnee.

"Yang," Glynda said quietly, her voice flat and even. "Should I be concerned?"

Yang met her stare without flinching, her face solemn. She didn't even blink. "Yeah."

Sighing, Glynda pulled her glasses from her nose and laid them down on the desk. "Miss Xiao Long, I don't appreciate being interrupted in the middle of my work." Taking a cloth from the case in her drawer, she wiped at the lenses, not bothering to even look in Yang's direction as she spoke. With a scowl, she snapped, "If you are not willing to tell me whatever this 'problem' of yours is, you are wasting both your time and mine, do you understand?"

"... yes, ma'am."

Glynda almost smiled at the resentment she heard in Yang's voice. The blonde's knuckles had gone white, the tension running up and down her arms while she braced for Glynda's rebuke. This was unfair, and both of them knew it.

"Good. Now, clearly you need a refresher on proper behavior, so for your punishment, I'm assigning you a mission over the winter break."

This time, Yang went completely still.

"You're ... what?"

"Given how late this is, I'll have to assign you to Patch – it's the closest environment that would be able to accommodate your team," Glynda frowned as she looked at her scroll, pleased to see the shock slowly spreading over the young woman's face. "I'm sure I can find an experienced huntsman there who would be willing to accompany you. Although perhaps you should give him some warning ahead of time?"

"I ... yeah," Yang stammered as confusion, surprise, and joy flickered over her face. It was plain she couldn't believe her ears. "Yeah, that sounds like a really good idea. Sorry I bothered you."

Yang stood and made for the door, moving fast, as though trying to get out of there before Glynda could change her mind.

"Miss Xiao Long." Glynda said dryly, the corner of her mouth twitching when Yang flinched. "I expect you to actually complete said mission. Understood?"

Yang's smile wasn't nearly as wide as normal. The poor girl looked relived and overwhelmed in equal measure. "Will do, prof."

"Yang," Glynda stopped her before she could get out the door. "This can only happen once. But if your 'friend' ever wants to talk, my door is open."

"Thank you." Yang's eyes were filled with gratitude as she left.

Sighing, Glynda reached for the remains of Cardin's paper, looked down at it, and tossed it back onto her inbox. Standing, she walked over to her door, checked the hall to see if any other students were waiting for her, then closed and locked it tight. Opening the bottom drawer of her desk, she reached past the papers and texts, and drew out a small glass bottle and a single glass. She splashed the amber-colored liquid into the glass, then set the bottle back on the desk.

It was surprising what got passed down, she decided. What bits and pieces the younger generation inherited or stole from the former. Ruby had her mother's eyes and Qrow's training burned into her bones. Glynda had never met the elder Belladonna, but from the stories she'd heard, it sounded like Blake had her father's fire. Weiss was starting to show more of her grandfather in her than Glynda had honestly expected from the girl, and Yang ...

_You'd be proud of her, Taiyang, _she thought as she raised the glass to her lips. _Only a Xiao Long could give me this kind of headache._

* * *

"There's my girls!" Taiyang cried as the door to the Xiao Long household flew open. In seconds, Ruby had jumped up into his arms, followed quickly by Yang wrapping her arms around her father's side.

Arms crossed over her chest for warmth, Weiss watched the snow fall around them as Yang and Ruby greeted their father. Patch was definitely in the middle of winter – snow covered the ground, crunching beneath her boots as they walked up the path to the family's cottage. Strong branches strained beneath their snowy burdens, fighting to hold up the massive piles weighing them down. Every so often, one mound would grow too big, sliding off its branch and falling to the ground with the thud that echoes in the otherwise silent forest. Everything was cold and quiet apart from the five people standing outside the house, their breath turning to mist the moment it left their mouths.

Weiss saw Blake's smile out of the corner of her eyes. That small, sly smile she wore only when Yang and Ruby acted like sisters. Which made sense – as far as Weiss knew, Blake was an only child. Ruby and Yang were a window into a life she'd never had, the love and aggravation and frustration of having a sibling.

It _was_ cute, seeing the two of them half-strangling their father as they greeted him after months at Beacon. But somehow, Weiss couldn't quite bring herself to smile.

Finally, the two of them pulled away, Ruby dropping down to the ground as Yang turned to look at the two young women waiting patiently for the family reunion to end.

"Come on guys," Yang said, waving for the both of them to come in through the doorway. "So, this is Blake."

"Glad you're here." Taiyang grinned, a suddenly Weiss saw the resemblance between them. Yang might have her mother's face, but she had her father's smile. "Yang's told me a lot about you."

"I can say the same about you." Blake smiled and nodded as she slipped into the house. "They were both very excited to show off the island. Yang wouldn't stop talking about it the whole way here."

"That sounds like her. Can't-"

"Dad," Yang grabbed her father's attention, and nodded towards the young woman waiting on the doorstep. "This is Weiss." Yang paused for a second, looking between her father and the white-haired girl, looking increasingly awkward when neither of them spoke. "Weiss Schnee."

Weiss looked up at the man standing before her, flour-stained apron tied over his clothes, tattooed arms bare beneath his outfit. He looked ... relaxed. Domestic, even, with the flour staining his clothes and leaving a streak of white on the side of his hair. A scruffy beard stretched down his jaw – not the unshaven look their uncle Qrow had that Weiss detested, but trimmed short to give a little more definition to his jaw.

He looked ... nice. If Weiss had ever tried to imagine a male version of Yang, she supposed 'he' would have looked like Taiyang. Maybe with more hair – it was hard to imagine Yang with anything less than her massive blonde mane.

"It is very nice to meet you, sir," she said politely, bobbing her head an inch before looking back up.

Taiyang blinked, laughed, and ran a hand sheepishly through his blond hair. "Just 'Taiyang' is fine, Weiss. Never really been the kind to stand on ceremony."

Nodding, Weiss stepped into the hallway and let the door close behind her. Immediately, heat started creeping back into the world, the warmth and the sound of crackling logs telling her a fire waited in the living room nearby.

"I was a little surprised you _both_ were coming," Taiyang was saying, as the four girls started shedding their coats and gloves. "There's a small problem with room – I made up the one guest room for Blake, but I didn't know you were coming when I did." He looked from Yang to Weiss and back again, a slight twinkle in his eyes. "I could set up the couch-"

Yang rolled her eyes and tossed her bag beneath the coatrack by the door. "I told you Weiss could sleep in my room."

"_Right_. That was it." Taiyang snapped his fingers and nodded. "'Course, wouldn't it make more sense to have your partner ..."

"Dad."

"Alright," Taiyang held his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Whatever you want. Now, do you want me to lay out a sleeping bag, or will you two-"

"_Dad!_"

Grinning, Taiyang twitched his eyebrows then headed towards the kitchen. "You girls just relax. I'm in the middle of baking. So, you _could_ to head on up and unpack. Or," the twinkle came back into his eyes, as he waved down at his apron. "I'm making triple chocolate-fudge cookies."

Even with her semblance, Weiss had never seen Ruby move that fast. The younger girl was a red-black blur as she flew into the kitchen, Taiyang following her and laughing under his breath.

Grinning, Yang nodded towards the door. "Kind of a family tradition. Wanna come watch?"

Not waiting for a response, Yang made for the door, leaving her two teammates perplexed in the living room. Blake shrugged, then shook her head and followed, leaving her bag resting beside one of the thick, plush chairs that sat before the fire.

Weiss barely made it one step into the kitchen before she froze, a wide-eyed Blake beside her.

The entire kitchen was _covered_ in cookies. Tubs of the little things sat on the table, each piled high with one kind or another, separated by type and ingredients and waiting to be stored for later or spread out on the trays stacked and waiting on the counter. Baking sheets lay around the room, several of them already dotted with snowballs and gingerbread men, with chocolate buttons and sugar cookies and a dozen other things Weiss couldn't name. The one closest to her was still cooling – she could feel the heat coming off the tray. These cookies were round and flat, with several bumps from what had to be oatmeal along with the dark spots of chocolate spaced out around them.

They looked warm and delicious, as if someone had pulled a picture out of a holiday catalog and made it real. Only no two cookies were alike, all of them random and irregular, misshapen in the charming way that only home-cooked cookies could be.

Taiyang was in the middle of the room, laughing with his girls as Ruby chattered up at him, already elbow-deep in a pile of dough she was pushing and pounding into a flat circle on the cutting board. Zwei hopped around, bumping against people's calves and trying to beg for scraps with looks of pathetic and faked starvation. Yang snuck one of the chocolate cookies off of a cooling tray, blowing on it twice before popping the little morsel in her mouth. Punching her dad in the arm, she laughed, mouth still half-full, muttering something about him giving her a hard time.

Blake took one look at the room, laughed, and went over to pluck a fudge-filled cookie right from Ruby's fingers. Smiling at the girl's indignant squeak, she settled in beside her at the counter, taking up a rolling pin and flattening out some dough of her own. Soon, she had effortlessly slid into the conversation between the three family members, chatting away as they worked to make up one more batch.

Weiss looked about the room, at the chaos, the intimacy, the sheer sense of _family _that filled the space, and immediately headed for the door.

As soon as she was outside, the cold rushed in. Reality re-asserted itself, followed by relief. Everything in there … it was overwhelming. She couldn't even hear herself think in that racket, in the constant happy chatter of two daughters ecstatic to finally be home. Out here, alone, in the cold and silent forest, _this _she could handle.

She flinched as the doorknob turned. She almost groaned when Yang stepped out onto the patio, rubbing her bare arms from the cold.

"Hey," the blonde asked, eyebrows coming together in a frown as she closed the door. "What's up?"

Weiss shook her head. "Just a little warm in there." Maybe, if she was _very_ lucky, Yang would take the hint. Would, for the first time since they'd met, realize that Weiss _didn't _want to talk about what was bothering her. That the best thing would be to just leave her alone, to let her sit in the calm and quiet and sort this out on her own.

Yang snorted and came to stand beside her, resting her elbows on the railing. "So you decided to freeze to death instead?"

Weiss felt her mood sour. All Yang had to do was just let her have a moment to herself. Just let her … cool off. Instead, she _had_ to push, had to ask, had to make this more difficult than it had to be. She glared as she turned to look at the blonde, scowling from beneath her brows. "What do you want from me, Yang?"

Yang's head pulled back, as if Weiss had shouted at her. She blinked and shrugged, rubbing at her arms as she pushed away from the railing. "… nothing. You looked upset. Sorry I pissed you off."

She swallowed and tore her gaze away from Weiss as she turned back to the door. She looked hurt, and suddenly Weiss felt very, very small. "Yang, wait," Weiss called, catching the blonde's sleeve before she could head back inside. "I'm … right now, it's just too _much_ in there."

"Why?" Yang was looking at her, complete confusion in her eyes. "What's wrong with it?"

Weiss shook her head, and sighed. "Yang, seeing you three … it's like watching some bad midwinter movie."

"… you know, on some level, I can tell that you're not _trying_ to insult me, but it's getting harder."

"Well, I'm not good at this!" Weiss snapped. _Which is the point, _she thought, resisting the urge the thump her head against the wall. "Yang, midwinter at my house was one family photo and the servants decorating the place for my parents' parties. It … it doesn't matter."

She let go, and a second later, an impossibly warm hand snagged hers.

"It kinda does."

"Yang, this is just … something I'm not used to." Weiss shook her head again. Yang didn't _get _it – couldn't get it. Even if a part of her knew this closeness was normal. The same part that understood _why_ Taiyang just seemed to accept her and Blake into their home as if they were part of the family. It was just too much, too heavy, bombarding her all at once in an endless cacophony.

"Go back inside, Yang," she said, training her eyes on the snowbanks outside. "I just need to clear my head, okay?"

Yang looked her in the eye, saw the determination there, and heard the note in her voice that made it clear Weiss really did want to just be left alone. "… fine," she sighed, and headed inside, leaving Weiss alone in the cold winter air.

* * *

**Author's Note: ****As usual, please leave a review or comment if you can. (A) It makes my day and (B) it sometimes gives me idea about what you guys would like to see and any mistakes I might need to fix. If you have any questions, comments, critiques, or even just want to say 'hi,' PLEASE put it in a review (I respond to almost any question) or in an ask on tumblr (you can find me as 'Redsuitwriter'). I also put sneak peeks for my stories on tumblr, so you can find extra content there.**

**Seriously - I always grin when I check my notifications and find a review or a follow for a story.**


	9. Midwinter II

**Midwinter, Part II**

Cold shot through the house as the door opened, little flurries of snow whirling and melting into nothingness as Yang closed the door behind her. One last swirl of flakes scattered from her feet as it shut, clicking with a finality Blake could hear all the way from the kitchen. Looking up from the counter, Blake glanced out towards the door. Her brows came together in a frown the second she saw Yang, the blonde not even bothering to knock the snow from her shoulders as she trudged her way back down the hall. Her shoulders were slumped, head bowed slightly as she paused, looking for a moment as if she was going to turn and head back outside.

As long as Blake had known her, Yang had always worn her emotions on her sleeve. With how she looked right now, she might as well have hung a sign around her neck saying something was wrong. After months of training together, working as partners, Blake knew that expression like the back of her hand. It wasn't the 'Yang's annoyed with her teachers' kind of wrong, or the flexing-fist 'Yang's wishing she could get away with knocking some sense into Cardin' wrong. Or even the tight-lipped 'something just reminded her of her mother' wrong. That hunch to her shoulders, the tightness in her knuckles, and the way she clenched her jaw ... that was different.

This was the 'something's the matter with Weiss' kind of wrong.

_Wonderful._

"Everything okay?" Blake asked quietly as Yang came back into the kitchen, reaching across one of the baking sheets for the rolling pin. As she flattened out the dough on the cutting board in front of her, she watched Yang out of the corner of her eyes, never fully looking up from what she was doing. The question had to seem casual, disinterested. She didn't want to push too hard too fast. If she did, Yang would just—

Blake sighed. The moment she heard her voice, Yang's shoulders straightened, as if she'd been caught napping during one of Port's lectures. A quick smile flashed over her face as she waved Blake off, putting a bounce in her step that suggested all was right with the world.

_Great. Now she's at 'I don't want to bother you with my problems' territory. Just perfect._

"S'fine," Yang said, settling back in beside her sister at the counter. "She's messaging family. Wants the fresh air."

Taiyang turned, his head popping up as he frowned from the other side of the kitchen island. "Is it the cooking smells? I can try to clear out the house—"

"No, Dad." Yang shook her head, her smile fading slightly as she shrugged. "She just wants some time to herself. Family, you know?"

_It really is interesting watching the two of them together,_ Blake decided, glancing between the two of them as Taiyang's eyes met Yang's. The two were so similar. The accent, their reactions, right down to the way they moved. Yang had even picked up her father's sense of humor, something Blake was only just completely getting after months of living in the same room with her.

_It's uncanny, really, _she thought. S_eeing Yang's expression on a man's face. Especially the 'something's off and I'm gonna try to fix it' look._

_And there's nothing I can do about it now._

Sighing, she went back to her dough, nodding as she half-listened to Ruby's story about Zwei's puppyhood antics.

* * *

Two hours later, several batches of cookies lay on the counter, some just now finished cooling while others waited to be piled in deep plastic tubs and saved until the rest of the confections had been devoured. Weiss had come back in as Blake asked Ruby to show her the tree, making a show of being sociable as she helped Taiyang and Yang with the cleanup. She was happy to chip in, it seemed, although Blake knew she couldn't be the only one to notice how much quieter the kitchen was now that Weiss was there.

But that seemed to be the theme for the night. Dinner was a quieter, softer affair, with Ruby and Yang on one side of the table and Blake and Weiss on the other. Throughout the meal Weiss was the perfect dinner guest – asking intelligent questions about Taiyang's work at Signal, listening intently to any story anyone told, and generally being both attentive and polite. It was perfect, and somehow it just felt sterile. She even laughed at one of the Taiyang's jokes that made Yang of all people groan with embarrassment. It didn't take a genius to see that she was trying to make a good impression. Or that even with all her effort, the artifice was just a bit too noticeable. Or that she doesn't quite look Yang in the eye the entire night.

Finally, after dinner was done and dessert was reduced to a few crumbs that Ruby 'stealthily' swept onto the floor for Zwei, after the five of them retired to the living room to look at the decorations and watch a far-too-frequently-watched holiday movie that somehow only got better with age, the yawns began. First Ruby, then Yang, then their father and Blake, the tiredness creeped up on them one by one until even Zwei looked ready to drop. All but Weiss, and as Taiyang headed up the stairs and Ruby gathered her puppy in her arms, Yang seemed to be the only one surprised when the heiress said she planned to stay up a little longer.

Blake saw Yang droop as she trudged up the stairs, and caught the sad expression on her face as she pulled open the door to her room. So, with a sigh, she caught the door as Yang let it slowly swing shut, and came into the room just in time to watch the blonde flop bonelessly down onto her bed.

"So," she asked, seating herself on the edge of the mattress. "Are _you_ going to tell me what's wrong? Or is this my turn to break out the speech about teamwork and us relying on each other?"

For a long moment, Yang lay still, completely silent, with her head buried in the comforter atop the bed. Then she turned, pushing wearily off the bed until she could sit cross-legged on the bedspread, eyes still downcast as she ran an impatient hand through her hair.

"I shouldn't have brought Weiss."

"You don't mean that."

Yang shrugged. "Not really, but she doesn't want to be here. It's too much, I guess. Maybe I shouldn't have brought her here to meet dad for the first time, or I should have done it just her and me," she trailed off, teeth biting into the side of her mouth. "I dunno."

"Is that what she said?"

The blonde sighed, long and slow, looking and sounding like a balloon that was slowly deflating. "Not exactly," she admitted, her slump somehow deeper that it had been. "She said it was just too much. That she wasn't used to ... us. My dad and Ruby and me."

Blake frowned and nodded. "I can see that," she said, matching that with what she knew of their white-haired teammate.

"It doesn't seem to bother you."

"Yang, the ... _settlement_ I grew up in was fairly small. There was never a lot of space safe from the Grimm, so we've always had too many people in too small an area." Blake paused, biting her lip. "When you have that many people rubbing shoulders with each other, you get used to everyone being like family. Folks going in and out of each other's houses, neighbors that are more like relatives than friends, people coming to visit my father at all hours of the day."

"Sounds like a bit like Patch," Yang murmured. "Honestly, I was surprised Dad was the only one home when we got here. I was half expecting a couple family friends, maybe even uncle Qrow if he wasn't off on a mission."

"Exactly." Blake took a breath and ran a hand over her ears, still tied tight beneath her bow. "Yang, I'll admit I wasn't the most open person when I came to Beacon, for ... all sorts of reasons. But growing up in a place like that is one of the reasons I've always liked having time to myself. When you're packed in that tight, you learn to cherish those few seconds of quiet. But this is _still_ something I'm used to. I doubt the Schnees have that many neighbors. Or friends they treat like family. Or ... let's be honest. From the way she describes her father and barely talks about her mother, it's obvious they weren't close like ... like your family is."

"It was just the six of us. It's not like we had a crowd of people over or anything."

"Still." Blake turned, moving until she could look at Yang and take one of the blonde's hands in hers. "Yang, you're my best friend. But sometimes, you can be a bit ..."

"A bit what?" Yang looked up, her voice hard. "Hot-headed? Impulsive?"

"No," the dark-haired girl chuckled. "Eager. Let me guess – you know Weiss grew up with a distant mother and an abusive father. So you wanted to bring her home, give her a happy family for a few days. Am I close?"

Yang's silence was all the answer she needed.

"Weiss always has trouble with situations she's not familiar with. I can promise you, right now, she's probably beating herself up for being overwhelmed in the first place. She probably feels like she let _you _down."

"That's silly. She didn't—"

"I know. _She _doesn't." Blake said, pausing just long enough for the words to sink in. "Just give her time. Try to ease her into it."

Yang hesitated, some of the tension melting from her shoulders. Then she nodded, her expression glum.

"And if that doesn't work?"

Blake gave her a half-smile as she stood and moved towards the door.

"Do what you did with me."

* * *

Weiss waited until everyone else was asleep before sneaking into the kitchen. It wasn't hard – not everyone sleeping upstairs. Even on the floor below, she could already hear Ruby snoring, and from the identical sounds echoing out of their father's room, Weiss doubted anything would wake them. Deep sleeping seemed to run in the family.

Which was a blessing, considering how long it took her to find the right recipe book. At least she didn't have to look for the mixing bowls or spoons – they were still drying in the rack. The flour and eggs were simple too, although she had to rummage in one of the lower cupboards for the chocolate chips and the can of baking soda. Why on Remnant their father kept the baking soda behind the blender, she'd never know.

_Okay_, Weiss thought, checking the list and silently pulling the ingredients out of the cupboards. She had everything, she thought. Sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs ... it should be enough for one batch. Assuming the measurements were correct. _This cannot be that hard. Ruby does this all the time. _

That was right. Ruby baked. So did Ren, and while he at least was level-headed, Ruby was a rose-colored little ball of energy. If she could manage this kind of basic chemistry, it couldn't be that difficult. This would be fine. She could do this. And after _that _evening, it would show Yang that she was _trying_ to fit in with her family.

A few minutes later, and Weiss was about to scream. Her apron was covered in flour from when the bag had opened. Little bits of dough now stuck to it, between the stains from the first egg she'd cracked – that one had splattered all over the counter. As for the second ... she'd had to pick the pieces of shell out of the dough before she could add the rest in. Even then, the stupid dough didn't want to mix, sticking to every single spoke on the whisk she was trying to mix it with, and of _course_ none of the butter wanted to melt the right way.

Finally, after a good ten minutes of beating the dough into shape, the current mess of egg, butter, and flour seemed more-or-less mixed together. Gingerly, careful to keep from spilling it like she had the flour, she measured out exactly three-fourths of a cup of the sugar and raised it over the batter.

"What are you doing?"

Weiss leapt about a foot into the air. The cup jerked, and she barely managed to keep the clear-white powder from spraying all over the countertop. Fortunately, most of it went into the bowl, spreading out over the rest of the dough.

Whirling, she found Yang standing in the doorway, muscled arms crossed over her bathrobe as she looked, bemused, out over the mess that covered the family's kitchen.

"Nothing," Weiss snapped, grabbing the spoon and stirring the sugar in with the rest of the mix. Why couldn't Yang have just stayed upstairs? She hadn't made that much noise. If she could have just stayed away ... "I was just-"

"About to make the saltiest cookies in the world," Yang finished, pointing to the clear plastic bag with the red zip-lock on the counter. "Wrong bag. Red top's salt, blue one's sugar."

Weiss blinked and looked down at her ingredients. No, that couldn't be right. Dusting a finger in the powder in the cup, she tasted it, and grimaced. Yang _was_ right – salt.

Swearing under her breath, she yanked the bowl from the counter and marched over to the garbage. Mixing spoon in hand, she started scraping the ruined dough out into the trash. Of all the stupid, idiotic things she could have done...

A hand closed gingerly around hers, holding her still as someone – a very warm someone – moved to stand behind her. Slow and gentle, Yang's other arm slid around her waist, and before Weiss knew it, the blonde had her in a soft, if insistent, hug.

"Could you please tell me why you're trying to make cookies alone at one in the morning?" Yang asked, her breath tickling Weiss' cheek. "Please? I know I don't get whatever's going on with you, but," she paused, her arms squeezing just a little tighter. "I _want_ to.

It took Weiss a long time to answer, torn between trying to shrug Yang off and how nice it felt to be held like this. "I don't know how to do this, Yang."

"Well," the blonde sighed, "You take a breath and when you let it out, you vibrate your vocal cords to make sounds."

"Ass." Weiss growled. She could _hear_ the smirk in Yang's voice. "I mean _this._ Being here, with your father, just all ... this."

"You handled dinner pretty okay."

"I can do small talk. I have had plenty of practice." Weiss snapped, then stopped herself. Taking a breath, she reached up and placed the mixing bowl back on the counter, taking the moment to force herself to relax. "Seeing you, your dad, your sister ... I have never had anything like that. I love Winter, but we're not close the same way you and Ruby are. Apart from her, the closest thing I have to family is the butler who practically raised me. My father, my mother, my brother ..." she trailed off, at a loss for words. "I don't know what I'm doing here, Yang."

"Can I tell you something?" Yang asked, her voice low. She waited, for a moment, but when Weiss didn't respond, she shouldered on, speaking softly as she held Weiss to her. "After Summer died, Ruby wouldn't eat. Nothing tasted right. She didn't really know why. She was too young to really get it, but ... she knew anything I made wasn't her mom's. And Dad was too torn up to do pretty much anything."

Weiss swallowed. "What did you do?"

"I spent every minute I could trying to get one recipe right." Yang laughed softly. "Took a little while, but I did it. And Ruby finally ate something that didn't come wrapped in plastic."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks, but that's not the point." Yang sighed, and let go. Slowly, she moved around until she was standing face-to-face with Weiss, her hands reaching down to hold the shorter girl's hands. "I know why you push yourself as hard as you do. Why you have to be at the top of the class, why your grades can't slip, why you _need_ to always look like you're good at everything." Yang pursed her lips, trying to find the right words. "But I'm not gonna think less of you if you're not flawless. Dad won't either."

It was a while before Weiss could look at her. When she did, all she could see was the worried expression on Yang's face, the frustration at feeling responsible for someone she cared about being in pain, and not knowing how to make it better.

"I'm sorry for throwing this at you all at once."

Weiss just shook her head. "You did nothing wrong, Yang."

"Thanks." She smiled. "So, you ready to tell me why you're down here at oh-dark-thirty?"

"Because I have never cooked a day in my life," Weiss admitted reluctantly, her voice coming through gritted teeth. "This is the one thing I _could _practice. I thought it might make this easier."

"First, you're the only person I know who has to practice being around other people. And technically, this is baking." Yang grinned when Weiss scowled at her. "Come on. We'll do an easy one."

Yang walked her through the process, telling her how to make the dough before skipping the process entirely and grabbing a wrap-covered bowl out of the fridge. "We'll make a fresh batch later, but it takes time to cool."

It was a little suspect how often Yang's hands found excuses to hold hers. How quickly they wrapped around hers, to show how to roll the dough, how to tuck one of the larger chocolates inside before balling it back up. How Yang brushed up against her side when they placed it on the sheet so the cookies wouldn't become one large mass when they baked. After the first time, Yang let her do it on her own, but their hands kept brushing whenever she reached for the dough, whenever Yang reached past her to place another ball on the baking sheet.

If she was being honest with herself, Weiss didn't really mind.

"What are these called?" Weiss asked once the plate was evenly speckled with dough.

Yang paused, the corner of her mouth twitching as she moved the last ball of dough a little bit to the left. "Kiss cookies."

Weiss frowned, looking down at the round globs of dough. That didn't make any sense – who would name these little balls after that? "Why?"

Waiting until Weiss' hands were occupied with the tray, Yang leaned in and kissed her. It was long and slow and sweet, and Weiss would have let the tray tumble from her fingers if Yang hadn't been there to catch it.

"Can I ask you something?" Yang said when they finally came apart.

It took Weiss a moment to catch her breath. "Of course."

Moving slow and silent, Yang opened the fridge door and slid the plate of cookies back in. Then she turned and took Weiss' hands in hers, fingers running circles over Weiss' knuckles as she met the white-haired girls' eyes.

"Come to bed," she asked quietly, eyes filled with longing. "Please."

* * *

**Author's Note: ****As usual, please leave a review or comment if you can. (A) It makes my day and (B) it sometimes gives me idea about what you guys would like to see and any mistakes I might need to fix. If you have any questions, comments, critiques, or even just want to say 'hi,' PLEASE put it in a review (I respond to almost any question) or in an ask on tumblr (you can find me as 'Redsuitwriter'). I also put sneak peeks for my stories on tumblr, so you can find extra content there.**

**Seriously - I always grin when I check my notifications and find a review or a follow for a story.**


End file.
